Big Fifth Inning Leads Baseball to 9-4 Win over Eastern Michigan

Saturday, March 14

Muncie, Ind.

1 PM

Ball State University

9-8, 4-1

Eastern Michigan

4-15, 4-15

Eastern Michigan

Ball State

Photo by: Josh Brunette

Big Fifth Inning Leads Baseball to 9-4 Win over Eastern Michigan

March 14, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State baseball team rode a six-run fifth inning to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win 9-4 against Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.

The Cardinals (9-8, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) clinched the series win over the Eagles (4-15, 0-5 MAC) after a 17-13 decision on Friday.

Eastern scored first on a two-run single in the top of the first, but Brayden Huebner hit a leadoff home run in the bottom half of the frame to cut the visitors' edge in half to 2-1. The Eagles added a tally on an RBI single in the fourth before the big inning for Ball State.

Jacob Gillis walked with the bases loaded for Ball State's initial fifth inning score and set up a grand slam from Ryan Muizelaar to left field that gave the hosts a 6-3 edge. Taber Stokes drove in Max Kalk on a single later in the frame to extend the advantage.

The Eagles hit a solo homer in the sixth to cut the Ball State lead to 7-4, but the Cardinals tacked on insurance runs in the sixth (RBI from Gillis) and eighth (RBI single by Muizelaar) for the day's final scoring.

Muizelaar went 2-for-4 with five RBI and a walk on the day, while Kalk also collected a pair of hits including a double for the Cardinals.

Owen Quinn (1-0) earned the win with 5.1 innings of one-run ball and three strikeouts. The senior right-handed pitcher came out of the bullpen in the fourth inning and finished the game.

Eastern Michigan's Emmett Gillies (1-1) suffered the loss, as he gave up two runs and didn't get an out after entering in the fifth.

The Cardinals and Eagles are set to play at 1 p.m. on Sunday in the series finale.