Ball State baseball's pitching staff shines in 2-0 win over Purdue

<p>Redshirt junior pitcher Evan Marquardt pitches the ball during the Red and White scrimmage game on Oct. 2 at Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ball Park. The team's season starts in the spring. <strong>Kara Biernat, DN</strong></p>

Redshirt junior pitcher Evan Marquardt pitches the ball during the Red and White scrimmage game on Oct. 2 at Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ball Park. The team's season starts in the spring. Kara Biernat, DN

Using a variety of pitchers, Ball State baseball (16-15, 4-5 MAC) was able to pitch a 2-0 shutout at rival Purdue (15-13, 4-2 BIG TEN) on Tuesday in West Lafayette. 

Redshirt junior Evan Marquardt started for the Cardinals and pitched two shutout innings, before giving way to sophomore left hander Michael Pachmayer, sophomore right hander Nick Gazouski, junior righty Nick Floyd and freshman right hander Cody Freed, who all combined to allow just five hits on the night. 

In the start, Marquardt was backed up on offense by Michael Pachmayer, Nick Gazouski, Nick Floyd and Cody Freed, who recorded a combined five hits on the night.

“In a midweek game, we like to get a lot of guys worked in,” Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. “It was a great team effort.”

In a game that was still scoreless in the fifth inning, Purdue threatened with the bases loaded, but Skyler Hunter struck out swinging to end the scoring opportunity.

It was a defensive struggle, until the sixth inning when Ball State’s Noah Powell hit a solo home run off Purdue starter Ryan Beard for the first run of the game. Before Powell’s home run, the Cardinals had just three hits. Beard exited the game having given up just four hits and one run. 

“Noah has given the team a good lift," Maloney said. "He won the shortstop job with grit, and he’s given us a lot of great opportunities." 

After a hit and an error allowed by Ball State in the bottom of the sixth, Purdue left two runners on base, spoiling another chance to score. 

Ball State added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when junior catcher Chase Sebby was hit by a pitch and redshirt senior outfielder Jeff Riedel walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Trevor Cheaney balked to score Sebby, allowing the Cardinals to take a 2-0 lead.

Freed tossed the final three innings for Ball State and allowed just one hit, while recording three strikeouts. The outing marked his second save of the season. 

As a whole, the Cardinal pitching staff struck out nine Boilmakers at the plate. Floyd entered the game in the fifth for Ball State and picked up his fourth win of the season in the two innings pitched. 

Ball State’s junior outfielder William Baker had two of the team’s four hits, and senior Colin Brockhouse provided Ball State’s only other hit outside of Powell’s home run.

To finish out the week, Ball State will head back to Muncie to host Miami in a three-game series starting Friday at 3 p.m.

Contact Gabi Glass with comments at grglass@bsu.edu

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