Softball Completes Series Sweep at Kent State

KENT, Ohio - - Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak picked the perfect time to register her first triple of the season, driving in the first two runs of a six-run eighth inning to help guide the Ball State softball team to a 12-6 (8) victory at Kent State.

It was a great ending for the Cardinals (24-10; 9-4 Mid-American Conference) which picked up its fourth MAC series victory of the season as it heads into a pivotal showdown with league-leading Miami at the Ball State Softball Stadium next weekend.

Pietrzak opened the scoring in the game for Ball State, smashing a leadoff double to center field and coming on home redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons' first of three RBI hits in the game.

While the Golden Flashes (7-28; 0-11 MAC) evened the score in the bottom of the first, the Cardinals used a pair of third-inning bases-loaded walks by senior left fielder Kara Gunter and junior right fielder Ashlee Lovett to take a 3-1 edge.

Timmons would double Ball State's advantage in the top of the fourth, smashing a two-run double to center field. However, Kent State countered with three in the bottom of the inning to pull back within one.

While Timmons added another RBI on a single to right field in the top of the sixth, making the score 6-4, Kent State posted single runs of its own in both the bottom of the sixth and seventh to send the game to extra inning.

That is where Pietrzak came up clutch, following singles by redshirt junior pinch hitter Aislinn Morris and redshirt junior pinch hitter Hayley Urban with her two-run triple to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run.

The Cardinals were not done there, however, as Pietrzak scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to three. Gunter then drove in two more with a double down the right field line, while senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson capped the scoring with an RBI single to left field.

That turned the ball over to junior Ella Whitney in the circle, who retired the Golden Flashes in order in the bottom of the eighth to pick up her league-leading 15th pitching win of the season. Overall, Whitney pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits and one run, while striking out one.

Freshman Breanna Severino started the game in the circle for Ball State, pitching the first 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and five run (four earned), while also striking out one.

NOTES:
- Pietrzak finished the game a home run shy of the cycle, with a first-inning double, a fourth-inning walk, a sixth-inning single and an eighth-inning triple … The helped her finish the game with four runs scored and a pair of RBIs.

- Timmons upped her streak of reaching base safely to 60 games, going 3-for-3 on the day with her three RBI hits … Overall, she collected four RBIs on the day and scored a pair of runs, while also drawing two walks, one of which was intentional walk.

- Ball State's batters where hit by two more pitches on the day, raising its single season program record to 63

- With 12 more runs Saturday, the Cardinals raised its season total to 271 over the first 34 games of the season … That gives Ball State an average of 7.97 runs per game … The 271 runs are the 11th-most in a season in program history, with the program record being 368 set by the 2012 squad.

- Ball State recorded its 16th errorless game of the season Saturday, raising its season fielding percentage back to .970.

UP NEXT:
The Cardinals return to action March 11-12 when it hosts Miami at the Ball State Softball Stadium. The teams are scheduled to play a 3 p.m. game Friday and a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.

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Team Stats

Maia Pietrzak

McKayla Timmons

Hayley Urban

McKenna Mulholland

Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Gibson

Kara Gunter

Ashlee Lovett

Aislinn Morris

Maia Pietrzak

Breanna Severino

McKayla Timmons

Hayley Urban

Ella Whitney