CHILLICOTHE, OHIO - The Ball State baseball team suffered a heartwrenching loss Friday at the hands of Northern Illinois.Leading 5-3 after they batted in the top of the inning, the Cardinals gave up three runs to the Huskies. It was the Cardinals second loss to the Huskies in three games at the Mid-American
Conference tournmament.The Cardinals lost the lead three times during Friday's game, a theme that has tragicially been repeated often late in the season.
After the game, the shell-shocked Cardinals huddled up for one final team meeting behind the stands along the right-field line. What only 10 minutes before was a team on the verge of a second nailbiting vitory, was now looking to each other for solace after a tear-jerking defeat.
While the team and coaching staff was still trying to comprehend what had just taken place on the field turf in Chillicothe, coach Greg Beals reflected on the game and the entire season.
"Our guys battled," Beals said as tears still sat visible in the corners of his eyes. "We got a couple big hits when we needed them. We got that two run lead there, and we were in good shape."
The Huskies were led by starting pitcher Matt Jearnstad, who went 7 2/3 innings. Jearnstad gave up seven hits, while striking out 13. He was replaced in the eighth inning by Andy Deain, who gave up 2 hits over the final 1 1/3 inning.
Offensively, the Cardinals were either in the lead or tied with the Huskies until Northern Illinois's final at bat. Ball State took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning on a home run off the bat of designated hitter Kolbrin Vitek.
The Huskies matched the Cardinals in the bottom of the inning as their designated hitter Justin Behm and catcher Matt Behren were both helped home on big hits by their teammates.
The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the sixth with one run. Ball State shortstop Dean Anna reached first base on a walk.
While center fielder Wayne Bond Jr. was at the plate, Anna advanced to second on a wild pitch by Jernstad. Bond was struck out but advanced to first base on a second wild pitch. On the same play Anna advanced to third base. A few pitches later, with two outs, Bond was thrown out trying to steal second base. Before the tag was aplied, however, Anna had run home to give the Cardinals their third run.
Northern Illinois matched that run with another of their own in the bottom of the inning, a home run by first baseman Dave Reynolds.
The Cardinals would take their final lead in the top of the eighth as they scored two runs on a home run by first baseman Nate Fields, and an RBI single into center field by the shortstop Anna. Ball State held its lead until the bottom of the ninth.
The ninth inning got off to a bad start as Huskies left-fielder Anthony Maziur reached first on a fielding error by ball state first baseman Justin Rogers. Two batters later, shortstop Bobby Stevens singled to left, advancing Maziur to second.
In the next at bat, Huskies third baseman Jordin Hood hit a double into right center, scoring Maziur and Rogers to tie the game.
In the next at bat, third baseman Justin Behm grounded out to the Cardinals third basemene, who threw him out at first. On the same play Hood advanced to third.
After intentionally walking Northern Illinois first baseman Dave Reynolds, Ball State reliever Kyle Heyne gave up a single to Huskies' first baseman, Danny Reed, scoring Hood and securing the dramatic victory for the Huskies.
"We had that error to start the ninth inning, and that kind of fueled the whole fire," Beals said, pointing to the turning point in the game.
The loss, he said, could not simply be contributed to his team and the error in the ninth.
"Northern Illinois is a good ball club," Beals said. "If you give them chances, like we did, it makes it harder to beat them."
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