Softball Tops LIU, Falls To FGCU in Saturday Action

Saturday, February 7

Fort Myers, FL

3 p.m.

Ball State University

1-1

Long Island

0-3

Ball State

Long Island

Lindsey DeRoeck celebrates her home run in Saturday's game versus FGCU

Photo by: Jessica Piland - Jessica Piland Photography

Softball Tops LIU, Falls To FGCU in Saturday Action

February 07, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1: Ball State 10 - LIU 0 (5)Game 2: Ball State 7 - FGSU 8

FORT MYERS, Fla. - - Led by a solid pitching performance by Grace Gray, the Ball State softball team opened the second day of the FGCU Kickoff Classic with a 10-0 (5) victory over Long Island Saturday afternoon at the FGCU Softball Complex.

In her first collegiate start, Gray scattered two hits and two walks over her 5.0 innings of work to give the Cardinals (1-2) their first victory of the season. She also struck out a season-high four Sharks (0-3), raising her season total to seven after she fanned three in 1.2 innings of relief in Friday's season opener versus Charlotte.

On the offensive front, senior first baseman Ella Whitney provided the biggest blast in the win by smashing the team's first home run of the season; a two-run shot to left field making the score 4-0.

The eventual game-winning run crossed early, as senior second baseman Mandy Lauth was hit by a pitch with bases loaded in the top of the first to bring home redshirt junior third baseman Skylinn Pogue. Lauth also drew two walks to reach base in three of her four at bats.

Overall, Ball State tallied nine hits versus LIU with two each from Pogue, senior right fielder Ashlee Lovett and senior designated player Lindsey DeRoeck. DeRoeck would also collect Ball State's first triple of the season in the second inning.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not carry over the momentum into the nightcap, suffering an 8-7 setback to tournament host FGCU.

After a wild first inning, which resulted in a 7-2 deficit, the Cardinals were able to rally late, starting with a two-run blast just inside the left field foul pole from DeRoeck, making the score 7-5.

Down to its final out and trailing 8-5 in the seventh, Ball State used an FGCU error on a fly to right to keep the game alive. The play also allowed redshirt sophomore pinch runner Payton Fox to score from first to bring BSU back within two at 8-6.

Two batters later, with runners on the corners, freshman second baseman Ayvah Cullen cut the lead to one run, 8-7, with her first collegiate RBI on a single to right center. However, a strikeout with runners at second and third ended the game moments later.

DeRoeck, who also drove in the game's first two runs with a double to center field, finished the day a single shy of a cycle. She would go a combined 4-for-7 over Ball State's two games with six RBIs, two doubles, a triple and a home run. She also drew a walk in the win versus LIU.

In a strong relief outing, redshirt junior Bridie Murphy limited the Eagles (2-2) to four hits and one run over 5.0 innings of work. She also struck out two batters.

SCORING SUMMARY - GAME 1 (Ball State 10 - LIU 0 in 5)
T1 - Lauth opened the scoring for the Cardinals with an RBI hit by pitch, driving in redshirt Pogue who singled earlier in the frame (1-0)
T1 - Two batters later, redshirt sophomore catcher Allee Noble picked up her second career RBI with a bases loaded infield single, plating Whitney (2-0)
T2 - A two-run blast to left field from Whitney doubled the Ball State lead (4-0)
T5 - Sophomore shortstop Addison Zimpleman picked up her first Ball State RBI with a bases loaded walk (5-0)
T5 - Freshman center fielder Paige Kelley added her first collegiate RBI in the next at bat with a bases loaded walk of her own (6-0)
T5 - Lovett followed with an RBI single to center, while an error on the play allowed Zimpleman to score from second (8-0)
T5 - DeRoeck capped the scoring with a two-run double to deep center field (10-0)

SCORING SUMMARY – GAME 2 (Ball State 5 - FGCU 8)
T1 - DeRoeck opened the scoring in a wild first inning with a two-run RBI double to center field, driving in junior shortstop Maia Pietrzak and Pogue (2-0)
B1 - Sietske Drijvers drove in FGCU's first run of the game with an RBI double to right (2-1)
B1 - Parris Wiggs tied the score with a single up the middle (2-2)
B1 - An error with bases loaded gave the Eagles the lead (2-3)
B1 - An infield single by Kmari Williams extended the FGCU lead to two runs (2-4)
B1 - KiKi Daniels doubled the home team's advantage with a two-run single to left field (2-6)
B1 - Olivia Black capped the scoring in the wild first with an RBI single up the middle (2-7)
T2 - Pietrzak was able to get one of the runs back in the top of the second with a single up the middle to drive in Cullen for her first career run (3-7)
T5 - DeRoeck cut the gap to two runs with a two-out, two-run blast down the left field line to drive in pinch runner Gray for her first collegiate run (5-7)
B6 - Drijvers picked up a second RBI with a single through the left side (5-8)
T7 - An error on a two-out fly ball to right field allowed pinch runner Payton Fox to score from first (6-8)
T7 - An RBI single to right center from Cullen drove in sophomore pinch hitter Jordyn Thurman to cut the lead to one (7-8)

UP NEXT:
The Ball State softball team closes play in the FGCU Kickoff Classic Sunday with games versus Southern Illinois (9 a.m.) and Long Island (11:30 a.m.).