Ball State University
36-22
Toledo
31-28
Baseball's Late-Inning Rally Falls Short in Setback to Toledo
May 24, 2025 | Baseball
Cardinals Finish the Year with 36 Wins for the Sixth Straight with at Least 35
The No. 3 seed Cardinals trailed 11-6 after the No. 5 seed Rockets (31-28) put up seven runs in the top half of the seventh inning but scored three times in the bottom half of the frame and once in the eighth to get within a run at 11-10. Toledo won the ninth inning 2-0 to advance to play another game on Saturday night.
Ball State struck first on a Blake Bevis RBI single and Houston King run-scoring double in the opening frame to take a 2-0 edge. After Toledo put up four runs in the third, the Cardinals responded with an Alex Richter RBI fielder's choice in the bottom half of the frame, two runs on a Nick Husovsky grounder and Toledo error in the fourth and a solo homer by Richter in the fifth to get out to a 6-4 advantage.
Ben Giovannetti brought home the first runs of Ball State's seventh inning rally on a two-run single to get within three runs at 11-8. Garrett Arnold grounded into a double play but it allowed Richter to cross home plate for the third run of the seventh.
Dylan Grego launched a solo home run to right field in the eighth inning for Ball State's final offense of the day. The Cardinals scored double-digit runs for the 17th time in 2025.
Bevis and Richter scored twice for the game while Grego went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored.
Garrett Harker (4-2) struck out three in four innings of four-run ball in relief to suffer the loss. Toledo's RJ Shunck (3-2) gave up three runs in an inning of work but was credited with the win.
"Our boys played their hearts out all year," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "Thirty-six wins is never something to complain about. This team had a special bond from the beginning. They made friendships for life."
Ball State finished the season with a 36-22 record, including 21-9 in MAC play, for a third-place finish in the final conference standings. The program has won at least 35 games in six straight completed seasons.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SHUNCK, RJ (3-2)
L: Harker, Garrett (4-2)
S: LEININGER, Nathan (1)
Batting:
2B: KONCZAK, Caden 1 ; SCHOLVIN, Charlie 1
RBI: HERBERT, Kaleb 1 ; KONCZAK, Caden 1 ; SUDBROOK, Troy 2 ; SCHOLVIN, Charlie 1 ; CAHILL, Cole 3 ; LETO, Luke 1 ; WALTON, Luke 1 ; WHITE, Brayden 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HERBERT, Kaleb 3 ; KONCZAK, Caden 2 ; SCHOLVIN, Charlie 2 ; CAHILL, Cole 1 ; LETO, Luke 1 ; WALTON, Luke 1 ; WHITE, Brayden 1 ; WAGNER, JP 2
SB: KONCZAK, Caden 1
CS: CAHILL, Cole 1
HBP: SCHOLVIN, Charlie 1 ; LETO, Luke 1 ; WALTON, Luke 1
Batting:
2B: King, Houston 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1
HR: Grego, Dylan 1 ; Richter, Alex 1
RBI: Grego, Dylan 1 ; Husovsky, Nick 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1 ; Richter, Alex 2 ; King, Houston 1 ; Giovannetti, Ben 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Grego, Dylan 2 ; Husovsky, Nick 1 ; Davis, Ty 1 ; Bevis, Blake 2 ; Richter, Alex 2 ; Kalk, Max 1 ; Jacobs, Clay 1
SB: Grego, Dylan 1 ; Bevis, Blake 1 ; Richter, Alex 1 ; Balius, Gavin 1
HBP: Davis, Ty 1 ; Richter, Alex 1 ; Kalk, Max 1
