The Ball State baseball opened its season strong offensively Friday with a 7-4 win at Middle Tennessee State but couldn't replicate the effort in an 11-2 loss the following day.
The Cardinals (1-1) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning Friday when Mike Sullivan, who finished with three hits in the game, scored on a Brad Miller single. Marc Franz later scored in the inning on an error.
Sullivan finished with three hits (all singles) on five at-bats and one run for the game, and went four for nine over the weekend.
"Sully played the way we expect him to play -- to get himself on base and be the sparkplug of the offense," coach Greg Beals said.
Ball State's Joe Ness allowed three runs in the third inning off two home runs. MTSU's Nate Jaggers sent a two-run shot over the fence after Michael McKenry hit a solo home run. Despite allowing three home runs in five innings, Ness pitched a good game, Beals said, citing the junior's eight strikeouts.
The Cardinals quickly responded in the following inning, rallying to score three runs and retaking the lead in the process. Eric Earnhart doubled down the right-field line to score Kyle Dygert. Later, C.J. Webb scored after Matt Singleton grounded out, and Earnhart scored on a groundout by Sullivan.
After giving up a run that inning, the Cardinals struck again in the ninth inning, scoring two runs on two hits, eventually assuring the Cardinals victory.
The Cardinals couldn't get the offense rolling on Saturday and got trumped 11-2. Ball State held a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, but the Blue Raiders exploded for 10 runs in the next three innings, including five runs in the fifth.
"It just kind of snowballed on us," Beals said. "They got runners in scoring position, and they made a couple of big hits."
In his first collegiate appearance, Ben Snyder allowed six runs on seven hits before being replaced with one out in the fifth inning by Luke Behning. Behning didn't fair much better, allowing two runs on four hits in just under three innings.
Ball State allowed 13 hits and made two errors in the loss. Sullivan, Miller, Dygert, Earnhart and Justin Rogers each finished with a hit for the Cardinals.
"We didn't go back to work with the same kind of intensity on Saturday," Beals said. "We didn't stick to our game plan. Sometimes you show up a little flat."
Sunday's game was canceled because of rain and won't be rescheduled.
"The team is right where we thought we'd be," Beals said. "We showed ourselves how good we can be, and we showed ourselves how we can play if we don't show up with the right attitude."
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