Ball State University Athletics
Friday, March 27
Muncie, Ind.
3 PM
Ball State University
13-11, 8-2
10
vs
0
Ohio
5-20, 3-7
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Ohio
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Ball State
0
0
1
4
1
0
4
10
17
0
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Garza Fires First No-Hitter for Ball State since 2019 in Series-Opening Win over Ohio
March 27, 2026 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. – Sophomore Brendan Garza tossed the first no-hitter for the Ball State baseball program since 2019 in a 10-0 win for the Cardinals in seven innings against Ohio on Friday afternoon at Shebek Stadium.
The right-handed pitcher struck out seven and worked around two walks to claim Ball State's first no-no since May 11, 2019 when John Baker and Luke Jaksich combined to no-hit the Bobcats as well in the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.
Ball State (13-11, 8-2 Mid-American Conference) plated four runs in the seventh including an RBI single to deep right field by Jacob Gillis that completed the run rule win for the hosts. Maalik Perkins hit a sacrifice fly and Brayden Huebner a two-run double for the first three tallies of the frame.
Brett Griffiths hit an RBI single to plate Gavin Balius in the third inning for the day's first run, and the Cardinals rallied for four runs in the fourth on Perkins' first sac fly of the day, an RBI single from Huebner and a two-run double by Gillis. Balius and Gillis each tallied three hits on the afternoon to lead a Ball State offense that collected 17 total, while Gillis and Huebner each knocked in three runs.
Ohio (5-20, 3-7 MAC) had only four runners reach base, as Garza sent the Bobcats down in order in four innings. The visitors got hit by a pitch and walked in back-to-back plate appearances in the fifth frame with two outs, but Max Kalk threw out a runner trying to steal third base to get out of the jam.
The performance was also the second complete game shutout of the season for Garza (3-2) after he fired a two-hitter in Ball State's 1-0 win at Hawaii on Feb. 28.
Luke Bryant (0-4) started on the mound for the Bobcats and allowed five runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings pitched to suffer the loss for Ohio.
"Our team put it all together today," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "We pitched, hit, and fielded. Brendan Garza was outstanding."
The middle game of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The right-handed pitcher struck out seven and worked around two walks to claim Ball State's first no-no since May 11, 2019 when John Baker and Luke Jaksich combined to no-hit the Bobcats as well in the first game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.
Ball State (13-11, 8-2 Mid-American Conference) plated four runs in the seventh including an RBI single to deep right field by Jacob Gillis that completed the run rule win for the hosts. Maalik Perkins hit a sacrifice fly and Brayden Huebner a two-run double for the first three tallies of the frame.
Brett Griffiths hit an RBI single to plate Gavin Balius in the third inning for the day's first run, and the Cardinals rallied for four runs in the fourth on Perkins' first sac fly of the day, an RBI single from Huebner and a two-run double by Gillis. Balius and Gillis each tallied three hits on the afternoon to lead a Ball State offense that collected 17 total, while Gillis and Huebner each knocked in three runs.
Ohio (5-20, 3-7 MAC) had only four runners reach base, as Garza sent the Bobcats down in order in four innings. The visitors got hit by a pitch and walked in back-to-back plate appearances in the fifth frame with two outs, but Max Kalk threw out a runner trying to steal third base to get out of the jam.
The performance was also the second complete game shutout of the season for Garza (3-2) after he fired a two-hitter in Ball State's 1-0 win at Hawaii on Feb. 28.
Luke Bryant (0-4) started on the mound for the Bobcats and allowed five runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings pitched to suffer the loss for Ohio.
"Our team put it all together today," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "We pitched, hit, and fielded. Brendan Garza was outstanding."
The middle game of the series is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Garza, Brendan (3-2)
L: Bryant, Luke (0-4)
Base Running:
CS: Harmon, Reese 1
HBP: Bryant, Cam 1 ; Harmon, Reese 1
Batting:
2B: Balius, Gavin 1 ; Kalk, Max 1 ; Huebner, Brayden 1 ; Gillis, Jacob 1 ; Thomas, Kenskey 1
RBI: Perkins, Maalik 2 ; Griffiths, Brett 1 ; Balius, Gavin 1 ; Huebner, Brayden 3 ; Gillis, Jacob 3
SF: Perkins, Maalik 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Griffiths, Brett 1 ; Balius, Gavin 3 ; Kalk, Max 2 ; Huebner, Brayden 1 ; Davidson, Brady 1 ; Thomas, Kenskey 2
SB: Perkins, Maalik 1 ; Balius, Gavin 2
HBP: Griffiths, Brett 2 ; Kalk, Max 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
3
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF/OF
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/ Baseball1B
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/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
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