A run here, a run there.
Ball State baseball fell victim to errors and an array of timely, well-placed singles Sunday against Kent State, as the Cardinals lost, 5-2.-รก
Kent State (19-12 overall, 8-2 Mid-American Conference) posted one-run innings in the first, third and fifth innings thanks in part to two Ball State errors. The Golden Flashes added two more runs in the sixth on a double by designated hitter Pat LeMasters to seal the game.
The Cardinals had the opportunity to tie the game in the seventh inning, but Matt Deckman struck out with the bases loaded after Keith Nunley made the score 5-2 by forcing in a run with a walk. Ball State struck out 13 times during the contest.
With the defeat, Ball State (19-16, 10-6) concluded the series 1-3 - suffering its first home losses of the season and its first home MAC series loss since 1995.
Saturday was more of the same for the Cards, who once again fell victim to several seeing-eye hits while dropping both games to the Flashes, 7-4 and 6-4.
Head coach Rich Maloney had a 15-minute discussion with his players after the game in which he said he stressed fundamentals and good decision-making to the team.
"We're still making some mistakes that, earlier in the year, you might say 'they can happen,'" Maloney said. "Those are mental mistakes and those are things you've got to start eliminating if you want to be a championship team."
Luke Hagerty started the first game of the doubleheader, going four and two-thirds of an inning while giving up eight hits and six earned runs. Of the eight hits, six were singles -- including three in a three-run Kent State fourth inning.
"They didn't hit it really hard, but I guess that's the way baseball is," Hagerty said.
The two hits that weren't singles, however, did Hagerty in, as the junior surrendered back-to-back home runs in the top of the fifth to give the Flashes a 6-2 lead.
Hagerty said the Flashes were on to his inside pitches during the fifth, and that led to the home runs.
"(Hagerty) didn't have it today," Maloney said. "He wasn't throwing as hard."
In the second game, Deckman saw his 18-game hitting streak come to a close and Kent State's Dirk Hayhurst had a complete-game, 142-pitch outing to post his fourth win of the season. The Cards almost climbed back into the game in the bottom of the ninth after catcher Troy Garrett hit a two-run homer to make the score 7-4, but it proved too little, too late.
"We started our rallies a little late," Hagerty said. "We did a few things here and there, but overall I think they just outplayed us."
Friday provided Ball State with its only win of the series, as junior Bryan Bullington tossed a complete-game four-hitter en route to a 6-2 Cardinals win.
Bullington, lacking the usual pop on his fastball, recorded 10 strikeouts and no-hit the Flashes through four and one-thirds of an inning.
Kent State scored in one inning -- the fifth -- in which Bullington gave up three of his four hits.
"That's just one of those innings," Bullington said. "They start off with an infield hit, ... then they get a couple singles, and then they got a big hit.
"I guess you have to tip your hat to them."
The Cardinals host Butler in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
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