Entering the final game of its Spring Break trip around the Midwest, Ball State University's baseball team had won three of seven games, including two of its last three.
Before the final game against Vermont, coach Greg Beals told his team that the game was a much-needed win. A victory meant the Cardinals had finished strong on the road trip with three of four. It would also put them in the right path as the Mid-American Conference season approaches.
The Cardinals won the game 4-1, improving their record to 5-8 after finishing the trip with a 4-4 record.
"After (Saturday's) loss to Minnesota we played very well; I told the guys beating Vermont will make it three of our last four and certainly gets us going in the right direction," Beals said. "It's one of the few times in my coaching career I felt we were in a must-win situation."
Ball State lost two of three against Vanderbilt during the first weekend, winning the first game 3-2. From there, the Cardinals lost to Belmont 3-0 Tuesday, but beat Evansville 9-2 the following day.
In the Metrodome Tournament in Minneapolis, the Cardinals won two of three, beating Illinois State (9-2) and Vermont (4-1). They lost to Minnesota 2-0.
"We're playing pretty good baseball," Beals said. "The bats are starting to go; they're certainly not going full blast the way we're capable of, but we are making progress."
At Vanderbilt, the Cardinals scored two runs in the first four innings in game one before allowing two in the seventh. Ball State scored for the final time when Mike Sullivan hit an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Matt Gard. The Cardinals couldn't replicate the effort the next day, leading 6-5 when entering the ninth inning. Vanderbilt won the game in the bottom of the ninth when Dominic de la Osa hit a two-run home run with two outs.
In the final game, Vanderbilt took a three-run lead before Ball State finally got on the board with a run in the seventh. But Vanderbilt responded with three more runs in the eighth for a 6-1 win.
Beals said Matt Singleton, who finished 4-of-11 against Vanderbilt and finished the trip with nine hits, probably had the best week on the team.
"We would've liked to have had a few more wins," Singleton said. "We just kind of want to get some momentum going into the MAC season."
On Tuesday, freshman Jay Broughton allowed two runs on six hits, and Jeff Michaels gave up a run in Belmont's 3-0 win. Despite finishing with seven hits, the Cardinals couldn't turn that offense into runs, being shut out only the second time this season.
Against Evansville, the Cardinals' offense drilled the Ace's pitching with seven runs on 14 hits. Four Ball State players finished with two hits and a third (Sullivan) finished 3-of-5 for the day.
In the Metrodome Tournament, Ball State cruised by Illinois State with solid play on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals totaled 13 hits while starting pitcher Ben Snyder allowed four in six innings, striking out eight.
Despite starter Tyler Pritchard allowing two hits in six innings against Minnesota, the Cardinals offense couldn't produce much, collecting four hits against the Golden Gophers.
But the offensive production returned against Vermont as Ball State finished with eight hits in a 4-1 win. Ryan DeGeeter finished with a career-high eight strikeouts while picking up the win.
"It was good to end our week on a good note, to win three of our last four games," DeGeeter said. "Ben (Snyder) and Tyler (Pritchard) did a good job on Friday and Saturday, and I just tried to continue the trend."
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