Cardinals Split Twinbill with Visiting Bobcats; Series Finale Moved to 11 a.m. on Saturday

Friday, April 3

Muncie, IN

1 p.m.

Ball State University

15-15, 3-7

Ohio

22-13, 22-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ohio	0	0	4	1	0	0	1	6	5	1
Ball State	0	1	2	1	3	0	X	7	8	1

Photo by: Josh Brunette

Cardinals Split Twinbill with Visiting Bobcats; Series Finale Moved to 11 a.m. on Saturday

April 03, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Ball State and Ohio split a doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Ball State Softball Complex, with Ohio limiting Cardinal bats in the second game after teams combined for 13 runs on 14 hits in game one.

Ball State (15-16, 3-8 MAC) won the opening game 7-6 and the Bobcats (23-13, 6-5 MAC) earned a 6-3 win in a game delayed 64 minutes by lightning. Ohio led 6-1 at the time of the suspension, but Ball State staged a post-suspension rally that nearly brought the tying run to the plate.

Addison Zimpleman walked to open the Cardinals' final half-inning, then first-game hero Grace Spencer lifted a two-run homer to centerfield for her second round-tripper in two games. Paige Kelly's speed earned an infield single with no outs for Ball State, but the Bobcats retired three final Ball State hitters to quell the rally and secure the split.

Spencer was the Cardinals' hitting star for both games, totaling seven RBI out of Ball State's 10 total runs. Put in perspective, the senior outfielder who batted eighth for the Cardinals had two career RBI over 70 games played entering the day.

In the opener, Spencer's first career homer was a three-run shot to right field that gave Ball State a 7-5 advantage in the fifth inning, and erased an early deficit. Ashlee Lovett and Grace Gray scored in front of her.

Ohio had built a 4-1 lead, and led 5-3, before the Cardinals struck for four runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Paige Kelly scored on Ella Whitney's sacrifice fly to pull within 5-4 in the fourth and set the stage for Spencer's dramatic drive in the fifth.

Bridie Murphy (4-3) collected the win for Ball State while pitching six innings in the victory. Ohio put two runners on base to start the seventh inning, when Murphy gave way to Brinkley Kita. A sacrifice bunt by the Bobcats put runners at second and third, but consecutive fly balls ended the contest as Kita earned her first save.

Kita remained in the circle for Ball State in game two, but the Bobcat bats staked Ohio to their lead. Ohio used a double and three homers to score two runs in the second, three in the sixth and another in the seventh before the game was delayed by lightning, with none out following Colleen Bare's leadoff homer.

Following the resumption in play, Ohio sandwiched a walk between three outs as Ball State readied for its late rally.

Game three of the series will be played on Saturday, already moved up to 11 a.m., to account for more inclement weather crossing East Central Indiana.