A lack of execution in two closely contested games produced two more losses for the softball team on Monday. Ball State dropped both games of Monday's home doubleheader to Marshall, 2-1 and 7-4.
The Cardinals (16-32, 3-11 Mid-American Conference) entered the seventh inning in the second game tied 4-4 but allowed three runs in the top half. A sixth-inning rally in game one was snuffed out, giving Marshall (30-15, 15-3 MAC East) the two-game sweep.
Ball State outhit Marshall 7-4 in the opener but stranded 11 runners. Five of the runners were left in scoring position.
The reason for the high number of stranded runners was poor bunting, head coach Terri Laux said.
"It's the simplest part of the game," Laux said. "It's a lack of execution -- a mental thing."
The Cards' lone run came in the second. Katie Pilger singled to right field and advanced to third on a fielder's choice and walk. She scored on a fielding error when Alyssa Huffman reached base.
The Herd took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Rachel Folden's double plated Jessica Williams.
The Cards tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Kelli Jeziorski and Pilger singled to start the inning. After the next two BSU batters were retired, Cortney Patteson walked to load the bases. Huffman then hit a blooper to left field that was caught to end the inning.
Amy Brownfield (7-9) took the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) and striking out three.
Marshall wasted little time in the second game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Herd added another run in the third and two more in the fifth to lead 4-0.
"Marshall is a good hitting team," Laux said. "(They) did what they had to do to win."
Ball State answered with two runs of its own in the fifth inning. Patteson floated a double to the center field fence that plated both Pilger and Quincy Duran.
The Cards added another two runs in the bottom of the sixth to even the score at 4-4. Following a walk to Jeziorski, Pilger bombed a shot over the center field fence. It was the fourth home run of the season for Pilger, one behind team-leader Sarah McGregor.
"It's frustrating that we wait until the fifth inning to start hitting," Laux said.
The wheels came off in the seventh inning for pitcher Randi Freese. After replacing starter Nicki Hellem in the sixth inning, Freese yielded three runs. Following a leadoff triple, a two-out single and two doubles gave the Herd a commanding lead.
The Herd's Rachael Folden batted 4-for-4 with five RBI in the second game. The MAC's third-leading hitter had three extra-base hits in the contest, with two doubles and one home run.
Freese (1-7) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits. Hellem pitched five innings, giving up four runs on six hits.
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