Wednesday’s Softball Results
Ball State 4, Western Michigan 3
Ball State 14, Western Michigan 4
Kent State 11, Buffalo 4
Buffalo 7, Kent State 4
Northern Illinois 7, Bradley 6
Recaps courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
Ball State 4, Western Michigan 3 | Box Score
Ball State 14, Western Michigan 4 | Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Ball State Softball team once again completed a doubleheader sweep in Mid-American Conference action Wednesday, taking down Western Michigan by scores of 4-3 and 14-4 at Ebert Field.
The Cardinals (28-11; 13-5 MAC) got off to a hot start in the first game, as sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak opened with a lead-off home run. It was her seventh to go beyond the fence this the season, giving BSU an early advantage over the Broncos (11-30; 5-11 MAC).
Later in the third, with two outs with senior right fielder Maddie Weaver and redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons on base, senior left fielder Kara Gunter hit a single to right field for two RBIs.
Pietrzak's lead-off homer was not the only contribution she made to the game. In the fifth, after redshirt freshman Payton Fox entered to pinch run following a lead-off double by redshirt-junior center fielder Hayley Urban, Pietrzak soared a sacrifice fly into right field which allowed Fox to cross home plate and brought the score to 4-1.
It proved to be a crucial play in the game, as it drove in what proved to be the game-winning run.
On the defensive side, the bottom of the fifth saw Timmons help limit the Broncos to one run in the frame by making an incredibly close tag at home on a squeeze play. That also proved to be a key point in the game, as WMU added another run in the bottom of the sixth to pull within one.
Junior pitcher Ella Whitney went the distance in the circle, earning her 17th win of the season as she only allowed six hits and three runs in 7.0 innings pitched.
Roughly 30 minutes later, the Cardinals showed why it is one of the nation's top scoring teams by putting on an offensive clinic with 14 more runs.
Both teams came out scoring early in game two, with McKenna Mulholland taking advantage of loaded bases, hitting her first of three doubles in the game to right center field for two runs. Mulholland's two RBIs was immediately followed by a sacrifice fly from junior right fielder Ashlee Lovett, allowing Gunter to put Ball State up three.
While Western Michigan responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, Timmons' RBI double in the second increased the BSU lead to 4-2. Timmons would earn her 48th RBI of the season, tying first in the conference.
After a scoreless third, the Cardinals would come up with a huge five-run inning in the fourth, with help from RBIs from Urban, Pietrzak, Gunter, Mulholland and Lovett. Mulholland and Lovett's RBIs were from the result of being a hit by pitch and a walk, respectively.
Senior Kaitlyn Gibson added to the run total with an RBI single in the sixth to bring the score to 10-3.
Whitney then sealed the deal by taking a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall in the top of the seventh for her first collegiate grand slam. It was her eighth home run of the season and helped her move into third in the MAC with 44 RBIs.
Freshman pitcher Breanna Severino took over the circle in game two, going the distance as well and being awarded her seventh win of the year. Severino held Western Michigan to just nine hits and four runs over her 7.0 innings of work, while adding three strikeouts.
The Cardinals will travel to Bloomington for action against Indiana April 23 at 6 p.m.
Kent State 11, Buffalo 4 | Box Score
Buffalo 7, Kent State 4 | Box Score
KENT, Ohio – Kent State hit four home runs during Wednesday's Mid-American Conference softball doubleheader against Buffalo at Devine Diamond. The Golden Flashes took the opening game by a score of 11-4 and then lost the second game, 7-4.
Seniors Delaney Robeson and Savannah Wing, junior Brynn Libler and redshirt sophomore Kendal Leitner all homered and drove in multiple runs. Libler totaled six hits, including a 4-for-4 performance in the nightcap, and scored four runs. Leitner had a team-high four RBIs.
Senior Delaney Nagy provided solid pitching in both games. She recorded two strikeouts and allowed just three runs over nine innings.
Game 1
The Golden Flashes had an immediate response each time the Bulls were able to score in the top half of the inning.
Delaney Robeson provided the first answer of the game with a two-run homer in the second for a 2-1 lead.
Following a scoreless third inning, Kent State matched UB's two runs in the fourth. Kendal Leitner got it started with a leadoff double down the left field line. Robeson tied it with a triple and then scored on Katie Jo Moery's single up the middle to go back ahead 4-3.
After Buffalo tied it in the top of the fifth, Brynn Libler gave the Flashes the lead for good with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. Megan Claerhout and Moery added RBI singles later in the frame to make it 8-4.
Savannah Wing rocketed a home run to right field in the sixth, scoring three for an 11-4 lead.
Delaney Nagy earned the victory, allowing two earned runs over five innings. Ella Johnson recorded three strikeouts and held the Bulls hitless over the final two innings.
Game 2
The Bulls bounced back in the second game as they scored 7 runs on 9 hits and 5 Kent State errors.
The Bulls grabbed the early lead in the first as Avelyn Van Heyst hit the ball to third base and forced the error to score Abbey Nagel. In the second inning, Ardyn Hopf scored as Reagan Terwilliger reached base on an error by the third baseman.
The game remained 2-0 until the fifth inning when the Bulls scored 3 runs. Van Heyst hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Nagel. With the bases loaded, Ava Thelen reached on a fielder's choice, but two runs came around to score on a pair of Kent State errors.
Leading 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Kent State got on the board on a 2-run homer.
In the top of the seventh, Thelen gave the Bulls some insurance runs with her first career home run that scored Hopf. Kent State managed to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bulls got out of the inning to take the game, 7-4.
Genevieve Longsdorf went the distance in the circle for the Bulls. Nagel went 3-for-4 from the plate with a pair of runs scored as both Isabella Smithson and Thelen had 2 hits each.
The Bulls are back in action on Saturday as they host the Toledo Rockets for a three-game series. Kent State will host Northern Illinois at Devine Diamond for Senior Weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
Northern Illinois 7, Bradley 6
Box Score
DeKALB, Ill—Alana Powell (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy) hit an RBI double to center field to send Madison Mathews (Yuma, Ariz./Cibola) across the plate for the walk-off win as the Northern Illinois University Huskies softball team hosted the Braves of Bradley University in a non-conference matchup. The Huskies (15-22, 9-8 MAC) defeated the Braves (18-25, 7-10 MVC) by a score of 7-6 in eight innings.
This is the third extra inning game for the Huskies as they are now 2-1 in eight-inning games this season.
Powell and Rylie Hartman (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) recorded four of the seven hits by NIU with Hartman going 2-for-2 at the plate.
Bradley jumped onto the scoreboard first, scoring three runs in the first two innings.
The Huskies offense loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning as Ally Rodriguez (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) hit an RBI single to send Natalie Miller (Fredonia, Wis./Ozaukee) across the plate for the Huskies first run of the game.
Bradley added a pair of runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead over the Huskies before Powell recorded her first hit of the day to send Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) across the plate. Alanah Velazquez (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) scored on an RBI from Hartman as Powell made it a one-run game at 5-4 to end the third.
Bradley's final run of the game came in the top of the fourth on an RBI double to make the score 6-4 over NIU.
Hartman hit her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, sending the ball pass the left field fences. Trinity Jones Estrada (Sylmar, Calif./John F. Kennedy) reached on a walk before scoring on Jenna Turner's (Marengo, Ill./Marengo) RBI single up the middle to tie the game at six.
Lily Cassell (La Grange, Ohio/Keystone) allowed just one hit in the final three innings of play as Stewart recorded her lone hit of the game in the sixth inning.
In the eighth inning, Mathews reached via a walk before advancing to second with two outs on the board. Powell battled at the plate before sending the ball to center field for the walk-off run.
NIU softball returns to action on April 19 and 20 as they travel to Kent State for a three-game series. Action is set to begin with a doubleheader on April 19 as first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT.
