Six runs in the first inning gave the Ball State baseball team a comfortable lead over Notre Dame, and the Cardinals never looked back winning 14-5 at Eck Stadium.
The Fighting Irish didn't put up much of a fight from the beginning when the first five Ball State batters got on base safely. Mike Sullivan and Jason Bucholtz opened the game with walks, and Brad Miller singled to score Sullivan. Starting pitcher John Axford then walked two consecutive batters -- Marc Franz to load the bases and Kyle Dygert to score Bucholtz.
C.J. Webb singled with the bases loaded scoring Miller, and Axford -- with the bases still loaded -- walked his fourth batter, Justin Rogers, to score Franz.
"They really helped fuel the fire for us," coach Greg Beals said. "They walked guys, committed a few errors, that really helped us put up some big numbers early in the game."
After four runs allowed in the first eight at-bats, Axford was finally replaced by Tyler Jones, but the Cardinals weren't done scoring. An error by ND third baseman Greg Lopez and a fly out to left field by Sullivan scored two more Ball State runners. Axford allowed six runs on two hits in eight batters faced. He walked five and managed to get only one out.
"He's still rehabbing from arm surgery, and he hasn't gotten back to his full potential since his surgery," Beals said. "He's still in the rehab process. He hasn't been able to put it back together, yet."
The Cardinals (18-9) didn't relent the following inning, scoring two more runs. Miller scored on a fly out to left field by Pestle, and Pestle later scored on a fielder's choice base hit by Rogers. Miller doubled the following inning to score Sullivan, and Bucholtz scored on a fly out by Franz. Ball State added another blow, this one delivered by Pestle when he connected for a two-run homerun to left centerfield, to take a 12-0 lead.
That lead would stay until the seventh, when Ball State added two runs. Notre Dame threatened in the sixth inning with the bases loaded, but designated hitter Matt Bransfield grounded out to first base to end the inning.
Notre Dame finally got on the board with four runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Eddie Smith and a three-run homerun by Matt Edwards. The Irish scored once more in the eighth on a fielder's choice.
Beals felt the win actually wasn't the best of the season, saying the three-game sweep against Alabama-Birmingham was played better.
Miller and Webb led Ball State with three hits each, and five other Cardinals collected at least one hit. Ball State finished with 12 to Notre Dame's 10.
Ball State, now on a 10-game win streak, plays host to Mid-American Conference rival Akron this weekend in a three-game series, starting at 3 p.m. Friday.
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