LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The University of Kentucky's lineup consists of four hitters with 10 or more home runs. Its team batting average going into the game was a glistening .296. Pitcher Ben Snyder should have felt the pressure. Instead, he had the Wildcat batters begging for mercy.
The Ball State University left-hander was lights-out on the mound in the Cardinals' first NCAA Tournament game in 37 years. Snyder struck out nine while giving up only four hits and one run in eight innings, leading the Cardinals to a 3-1 victory in the first round of the NCAA Regional.
"He was outstanding," said Ball State coach Greg Beals, whose team has now won 17 of its last 19 games. "Here was a team that has got as potent of an offense that we've played against. Ben was able to hit with his curveball early in counts. His fastball kept its life late in the game. His slider was unhittable for the left-handed hitters."
For seven innings, Kentucky's Craig Snipp matched Snyder pitch-for-pitch, striking out eight Cardinals up to that point. In the eighth inning, Snipp ran into some trouble.
With the score 1-1, Matt Singleton started off the inning with a single between the third baseman and the shortstop. After Mike Sullivan flew out to left field, Brad Miller hit a double just inside the left field line, advancing Singleton to third. Snipp would exit the game with Andrew Albers taking his place.
The next batter, Justin Rogers, ripped a shot down the third base line, scoring both Singleton and Miller, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 advantage.
"The pitcher got behind 2-0 and normally I just look for fastballs on the outside of the plate," said Rogers, who went 1-4 on the day. "He threw it there. That's what I was looking for and just drove it."
After throwing 107 pitches, Snyder left the game after eight innings, with Kyle Heyne to come in to close the game in the ninth. Beals said that he left the decision up to Snyder if he wanted to finish the game.
"I went to Ben Snyder after the eighth inning," he said. "I said 'Ben, how do you feel? You want to finish it or you want your closer?' And he said, 'I'm losing my legs, bring my closer in.' That says a lot about how Ben Snyder feels about his teammates and trusts his teammates to back him up and get the job done."
Although a Kentucky batter reached base in the ninth on a one-out error by Eric Earnhart, Heyne shook it off, getting Shaun Lehmann to ground into a force-out to end the game.
In what was expected to be a high-scoring affair, Snyder kept the Kentucky hitters at bay by getting ahead early in the count on a consistent basis, forcing the Wildcat batters to chase some pitches they normally wouldn't have late in the count.
"It's definitely a little nerve racking coming in," said Snyder of the UK crowd, announced at 3,500. "I saw the stats and saw the [310 foot sign] in right and I got a little nervous with that. I was like, 'If I'm able to keep the ball down, good things are going to happen, [and the] defense is going to be able to play well enough to get us through this.'"
The Cardinals got on the board first with one run in the second, but blew a chance to add more. With the bases loaded and two out, Earnhart singled, driving in C.J. Webb from third. Kentucky's right fielder, Collin Cowgill, threw a perfect strike to the plate, gunning down Kyle Dygert, who was attempting to score from second.
Ball State squandered another chance to add some runs in the fourth inning. Webb was on third and Dygert on first with one out when Chris Pestle hit a rocket line drive to Wildcat third baseman Michael Bertram. Bertram made a leaping grab on the play and caught Dygert too far off the bag at first, ending the rally.
"I just told them to keep playing," Beals said. "That's been our battle cry all year long. To keep playing, keep competing and keep getting yourself the chances and it'll pay off."
Kentucky played a little smallball in the fifth to even the score. After a leadoff double by Lehmann, Antone DeJesus bunted Lehmann over to third. A sacrifice fly by Cowgill drove in Lehmann.
"It's just a huge win," Beals said. "I'm very proud of our players and I'm excited for Ball State University. It's a big win for our baseball program. You know it's a big win when [Ball State President Jo Ann Gora] text-mailed you already."
The Cardinals move on the second round of the double-elimination tournament, where they will take on the College of Charleston. The Cougars defeated the University of Notre Dame 5-4 in 16 innings.
Tyler Pritchard will get the start for the Cardinals on Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m. at Cliff Hagan Field in Lexington, Ky.
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