Wednesday, May 7
Akron, Ohio (Firestone Stadium)
Noon
Ball State University
32-16
9
vs
1
Akron
28-24
1
2
3
4
5
6
R
H
E
Akron
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
3
2
Ball State
0
0
2
0
2
5
9
13
1
Softball Surges Past Akron in MAC Championship Opener
May 07, 2025 | Softball
AKRON, Ohio - - Redshirt junior third baseman Katie Van Der Mark capped a five-run sixth inning with a walk-off, two-run single to help lead the Ball State softball team to a 9-1 (6) victory over Akron in the opening game of the 2025 Mid-American Conference Softball Championship Wednesday afternoon at Firestone Stadium.
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"Our mindset was just having fun and being able to trust our work; the things that have gotten us here and made us feel successful all year long," head coach Helen Peña said after the win. "We're here for a reason, and all we have to do is be able to trust that and not prove it to anyone else, just prove it to ourselves."
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It was another thrilling MAC tournament win for the Cardinals (32-16) who will face top-seeded Miami in the first winner's bracket matchup Thursday afternoon in another Noon first pitch.
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While the Zips (28-24) tallied the game's first run, capitalizing on an error in the top of the third, it did not take long for Ball State to answer. Who better for the Cardinals to lead off the bottom of the third then MAC Player of the Year redshirt sophomore catcher McKayla Timmons who proceeded to blast a 3-2 pitch over the fence in the left field to even the score. It was Timmons' 16th home run of the season and her fifth against Akron pitching this year. It also raised her career total to 57.Â
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Ball State was not done there in the third, however, as junior center fielder Ashlee Lovett was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sac bunt from senior left fielder Kara Gunter and advanced to third on a single to right by redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland. Starting pitcher Ella Whitney would then help herself with what proved to be the game-winning run on an RBI single to left.
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Back in the circle, Whitney was flawless after the Ball State error on a single to short which allowed the game's first run to score, retiring the final 11 Zips in order. Overall, she limited Akron to one unearned run and three hits over her six innings of work, while adding a pair of strikeouts. In picking up her 19th win of the season, Whitney lowered her team-leading ERA to 2.86 and her league-leading average against to .227.
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Back on the offensive front, the Cardinals extended its lead to 4-1 with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first came after Gunter opened the inning with a single and scored on an error on a sac bunt attempt by Mulholland. Mulholland, who reached third on the error, then scored on a sac fly from senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson.
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The Cardinals then capped the game with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak opened the rally with a one-out single and Timmons followed with a walk. After a single by Lovett to load the bases, Gunter smashed a two-run single to left center to push the score to 6-1.
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Mulholland was then hit by a pitch for her single season program record 17th time to once again load the bases, setting up a two-out bases loaded walk from Gibson to make the score 7-1. Van Der Mark then capped the game with her two-run single down the right field line to keep the Cardinals in the winner's bracket.
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"Not one person won the game; it was everyone doing their job to be able to pull it out there at the end," Peña added. "We were building throughout the game and that goes along with our trust in being able to rely on one another to do the job. We did a good job of passing the bat and holding it down on defense."
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NOTES:
- Ball State has now won its opening game in each of the last two MAC Championships under second-year head coach Peña … In fact, the Cardinals are 5-2 all-time in MAC tournament games helmed by Peña.
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- The Cardinals 13 hits were the most in a game for the squad since tallying 14 hits in the 14-4 victory at Western Michigan on April 16, a span of nine games.
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- Pietrzak led the Cardinals with three hits, while Tummons, Gunter and Van Der Mark each added two … Overall, eight of Ball State's nine starting batters recorded at least one hit, while Gibson logged a walk and a sac fly in two of her four plate appearances.
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"Our mindset was just having fun and being able to trust our work; the things that have gotten us here and made us feel successful all year long," head coach Helen Peña said after the win. "We're here for a reason, and all we have to do is be able to trust that and not prove it to anyone else, just prove it to ourselves."
Â
It was another thrilling MAC tournament win for the Cardinals (32-16) who will face top-seeded Miami in the first winner's bracket matchup Thursday afternoon in another Noon first pitch.
Â
While the Zips (28-24) tallied the game's first run, capitalizing on an error in the top of the third, it did not take long for Ball State to answer. Who better for the Cardinals to lead off the bottom of the third then MAC Player of the Year redshirt sophomore catcher McKayla Timmons who proceeded to blast a 3-2 pitch over the fence in the left field to even the score. It was Timmons' 16th home run of the season and her fifth against Akron pitching this year. It also raised her career total to 57.Â
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Ball State was not done there in the third, however, as junior center fielder Ashlee Lovett was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a sac bunt from senior left fielder Kara Gunter and advanced to third on a single to right by redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland. Starting pitcher Ella Whitney would then help herself with what proved to be the game-winning run on an RBI single to left.
Â
Back in the circle, Whitney was flawless after the Ball State error on a single to short which allowed the game's first run to score, retiring the final 11 Zips in order. Overall, she limited Akron to one unearned run and three hits over her six innings of work, while adding a pair of strikeouts. In picking up her 19th win of the season, Whitney lowered her team-leading ERA to 2.86 and her league-leading average against to .227.
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Back on the offensive front, the Cardinals extended its lead to 4-1 with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth. The first came after Gunter opened the inning with a single and scored on an error on a sac bunt attempt by Mulholland. Mulholland, who reached third on the error, then scored on a sac fly from senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson.
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The Cardinals then capped the game with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak opened the rally with a one-out single and Timmons followed with a walk. After a single by Lovett to load the bases, Gunter smashed a two-run single to left center to push the score to 6-1.
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Mulholland was then hit by a pitch for her single season program record 17th time to once again load the bases, setting up a two-out bases loaded walk from Gibson to make the score 7-1. Van Der Mark then capped the game with her two-run single down the right field line to keep the Cardinals in the winner's bracket.
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"Not one person won the game; it was everyone doing their job to be able to pull it out there at the end," Peña added. "We were building throughout the game and that goes along with our trust in being able to rely on one another to do the job. We did a good job of passing the bat and holding it down on defense."
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NOTES:
- Ball State has now won its opening game in each of the last two MAC Championships under second-year head coach Peña … In fact, the Cardinals are 5-2 all-time in MAC tournament games helmed by Peña.
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- The Cardinals 13 hits were the most in a game for the squad since tallying 14 hits in the 14-4 victory at Western Michigan on April 16, a span of nine games.
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- Pietrzak led the Cardinals with three hits, while Tummons, Gunter and Van Der Mark each added two … Overall, eight of Ball State's nine starting batters recorded at least one hit, while Gibson logged a walk and a sac fly in two of her four plate appearances.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Whitney, Ella (19-8)
L: Macy Walters (15-10)
Batting:
2B: Meagan Lee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brooke Sivek 1
Batting:
2B: Gunter, Kara 1
HR: Timmons, McKayla 1
RBI: Timmons, McKayla 1 ; Gunter, Kara 2 ; Whitney, Ella 1 ; Gibson, Kaitlyn 2 ; Van Der Mark, Katie 2
SH: Lovett, Ashlee 1 ; Gunter, Kara 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1
SF: Gibson, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pietrzak, Maia 1 ; Timmons, McKayla 2 ; Lovett, Ashlee 2 ; Gunter, Kara 1 ; Peitersen, Veronica 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 2
SB: Fox, Payton 1
HBP: Lovett, Ashlee 1 ; Mulholland, McKenna 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF / RHP
/ SoftballBall State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses the NCAA vs. House Settlement
Tuesday, July 01
Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses NCAA vs. House Settlement & Bill Richards Thank You
Friday, June 27
Sports Link: Katie Van Der Mark (Softball)
Wednesday, May 21
Sports Link: Kaitlyn Gibson (Softball)
Wednesday, May 07