Playing outside for the first time in months, the Ball State University baseball team split a four-game series with the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
The Cardinals were down 8-1 after six innings in game one, which was just big enough for a five-run ninth inning to fall short as they lost 8-7.
In game two Alabama-Birmingham was the team down. Ball State went into the ninth leading 10-9 and closer Kyle Heyne stepped to the mound for a chance to set the all-time saves record in a career at Ball State. However, the ninth inning comeback by Alabama-Birmingham succeeded and Ball State lost 11-10.
Heyne got a chance at redemption later that day, however, in game two of a Saturday doubleheader. The Cardinals scored one run in the eighth inning to take a 3-2 lead and handed the game over to Heyne in the ninth. This time Heyne shut down Alabama-Birmingham one-two-three, collecting two strikeouts in the process, to pick up the 25th save of his career.
"If you want to be good and have success you have to have confidence in yourself and forget what happened the pitch before the game before or whatever," Heyne said.
Game four was the one game of the series to not be decided by one run. The Cardinals won 15-8 lead by Matt Stoeklin's four RBIs and four runs.
Ball State coach Greg Beals said he was happy with his team's performance in its first weekend.
"Overall we are pleased with the weekend we had," he said. "We got a lot better as the weekend went along and the scores showed it ... I wanted to be in position to win games late and we were in all four games."
Many newcomers came up big throughout the weekend but none bigger than Kolbrin Vitek. The true freshman batted as the designated hitter in the first three games, collecting five hits in 12 plate appearances, three runs and three RBIs. In game four, Vitek did not appear in the batter's box, instead he took the mound. Vitek pitched five innings allowing one run meanwhile striking out six.
"It's a great feeling to come out and play like that for my first college weekend," Vitek said. "It's a huge confidence builder for me."
In addition to Vitek's performance on the mound in game four, the game three starter, Brad Piatt, also delivered a gem. Piatt pitched six-shutout innings, allowing six hits and walking one.
Piatt and Vitek had a combined 0.81 ERA in the opening weekend while one and two starters Tyler Pritchard and Brenden Stines struggled, having 12 runs scored in the 8 2/3 they were on the mound.
"When I talk about this team and its pitching staff I talk about its depth," Beals said. "Pritchard and Stines are going to pitch better than they did but we got great outings out of our three and four guys ... We are a balanced pitching staff."
The Cardinals scored more runs than they had hits on the weekend. In the four games they scored 35 runs, 8.75 per game, on 33 hits. They were able to score so much in comparison to their hits thanks to 30 extra base runners, 22 walks eight Alabama-Birmingham errors.
"We got walked several times and they committed errors to help us out," he said. "We do need to improve on our situational hitting though. We didn't get as many situational hits as I would have liked."
The Cardinals will have to wait until next weekend when they have another four-game series to see if they have improved their situational hitting.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
