Softball Suffers 6-3 Setback to Miami in Wednesday #MACtion

CLEVELAND - - The fourth-seeded Ball State softball team could not overcome a strong start by top-seeded Miami Wednesday afternoon, suffering a 6-3 setback to fall into the elimination bracket of the 2025 MAC Softball Championship.

With the loss, the Cardinals (32-17) will await the results of the current game between No. 2 seed Ohio and No. 6 seed NIU to determine its next outing. A win by the Bobcats will send Ball State to Thursday's 2:30 p.m. elimination game. A win by the Huskies and the Cardinals will battle No. 5 seed Akron in tonight's 5:30 p.m. elimination game.

While Ball State was able to out-score the RedHawks (32-23) by a 3-2 margin over the final six innings Wednesday afternoon, it was four-run first frame for the designated home team which doomed the Cardinal and White.

The Cardinals would start chipping away at the Miami lead in the top of the second, scoring its first run of the game on a two-out RBI single from redshirt senior right fielder Hayley Urban. Senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson started the two-out rally with a single and moved to third on an error on the next play.

Junior designated player / pitcher Ella Whitney would help herself in the top of the fourth, cutting the Miami lead to two with a sac fly driving in junior center fielder Ashlee Lovett. Lovett singled to open the inning, moved to second on a groundout and stole third on a walk to redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland.

Unfortunately, Miami would score single runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to reclaim the four-run advantage. Whitney would attempt to breathe a little life into the Ball State offense once again in the seventh, with a one-out solo shot to center field. However, a groundout and lineout to second base ended the comeback bid.

Despite scoring just three runs, the Cardinals managed eight hits in the contest, led by a pair from Gibson. Overall, seven different players managed a hit, while eight of the nine starters reached base at least once.

Freshman Breanna Severino suffered the pitching loss for Ball State after surrendering three hits and four runs in her 0.2 innings of work. Whitney threw the remainder of the contest, allowing seven hits and two runs over her 5.1 innings of work. She also struck out three batters.

NOTES:
- After being hit by a pitch to open the game, and for the 14th time this season, sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak extended her streak of reaching base safely to 17 games … She also singled in the fifth inning to extend her hitting streak to five games.

- Including Mulholland yesterday and Pietrzak today, Ball State's batters have been hit by a pitch an NCAA-leading 89 times this season … At least one Cardinals batter has been hit by a pitch in each of the last nine games.

Softball Suffers 6-3 Setback to Miami in Wednesday #MACtion

Next Event

Team Stats

Kaitlyn Gibson

Maia Pietrzak

McKayla Timmons

Ashlee Lovett

Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Gibson

Ashlee Lovett

McKenna Mulholland

Maia Pietrzak

Breanna Severino

Hayley Urban

Ella Whitney