Back-to-back victories at the Georgia Tech Buzz ClassicTournament salvaged another pair of difficult weekends for the BallState softball team.
The Cardinals (4-15) came from behind to defeat Middle TennesseeState University 10-8 and defeated Georgia Southern 4-1 onSaturday. The wins improved their tournament record to 2-2;however, they did not advance to the championship bracket. OnFriday, the Cardinals fell to North Carolina 8-0 and Troy State2-0.
Against Georgia Southern, the Cardinals broke a 1-1 tie andscored three runs in the top of the fourth on four hits. Ball Statecollected a total of seven hits, including two apiece from KrisBurdine and Mandy Snyder.
The win over Middle Tennessee State was a thriller as BSUrallied from a six-run deficit in the fifth with six runs of itsown. Burdine and Snyder led off the inning with singles, followedby a Darla Dewig home run. Taylor Yancey's walk was followed byBritni Clark being hit by a pitch. Both eventually scored on twowild pitches. Kelli Jeziorski scored the final run off anotherBurdine single.
An inning later the Cardinals struck again, taking the lead asJessie Hilton and Dewig scored on Clark's double.
Coach Terri Laux gave the team a lot of credit for thecomeback.
"We never gave up, which is good," she said. "They continue tofight, irregardless of the score. It tells a lot about theirdetermination."
Before the Buzz Classic, the Cardinals played four games duringthe week, winning only one. The Cardinals fell to Troy State, NorthCarolina and 21st-ranked Georgia Tech, and defeated Georgia Stateduring that stretch.
"We weren't hitting on all cylinders," Laux said of her team'sup-and-down week. But she said she was pleased with how the team'soffense improved, especially in the last two games.
"We had some people step up to get some key hits," she said."That's why I'm encouraged by the wins."
The previous weekend, the Cardinals lost all four games in theEvansville Tournament. All told, Ball State finished 3-7 over thetwo weekends.
Pitcher Quincy Duran did not pitch over the two weekends becauseof injury. However, her left leg stress fracture is not serious,Laux said, and she hopes Duran can return against Purdue on April1.
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