The second weekend of baseball started slowly for Ball State University and junior center fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker.
Participating in the Austin Peay Invitational, Hazelbaker struck out to start the Cardinals' game against Indiana University on Friday and by the third inning they found themselves down 4-0.
The tide began to turn in Ball State's favor in the fourth inning when junior left fielder Kory Benbow doubled home junior catcher Zach Dygert to put them on the scoreboard. From then on there was no doubt in the Cardinals' dugout which team was going to come out on top, Hazelbaker said.
"We had a mentality going that we're better than them," Hazelbaker said. "We're going to win that game no matter what we have to do."
The center fielder personally assured that when he hit a walk-off solo home run in the ninth inning to give Ball State a 5-4 win. Hazelbaker said it was his first game-winning home run.
Even wintry weather that forced the cancellation of Saturday's game against Cleveland State University couldn't slow down Hazelbaker and the Cardinals.
Sunday against host Austin Peay State University Hazelbaker started the game 3-3 with three RBIs, two runs, a double and a triple. No comeback would be needed with sophomore starting pitcher Kolbrin Vitek stringing zeroes together, and the Cardinals grabbed a 7-0 lead after the fourth inning.
"We really attacked the game this weekend," coach Greg Beals said. "We put pressure on our opponents and played with more confidence."
Ball State came out of Clarksville, Tenn., as the best team largely due to Hazelbaker's impact at the top of the order and strong pitching performances.
Hazelbaker finished the weekend 6-10 with six RBIs, three runs and three stolen bases. Freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen continued his hot start to the season going 5-9 with an RBI, three runs and a home run.
Vitek led the Cardinals on the mound, pitching five shutout innings Sunday for his first victory of the year. The Brooks Wallace Player of the Year candidate struck out five and allowed one hit. He retired the first eight batters and did not allow a hit until first baseman Brooks Hunton led off the fifth inning with a single.
"He was really sharp," Beals said. "It breeds confidence in a team when their pitcher is out there cruising."
The Cardinal bullpen did not allow a run in five innings of work. Freshman Justin Warrington, junior Aaron Hammons, senior Tom Mueller and junior Morgan Coombs combined to strike out four hitters and allowed only two hits.
Friday's win extended Ball State's winning streak against the Hoosiers to five games. The Cardinals fought back to win the game, scoring four runs in the final three innings, while Indiana stranded six runners in the same innings. Vitek, playing third base, drove in sophomore shortstop T.J. Baumet and Hazelbaker with a two-out single in the seventh, and Nielsen hit a solo home run in the eighth to set up Hazelbaker's dramatic finish.
"It's always a good win for the program," Beals said. "To come back the way we did against a good team, it was exciting to see."
Hazelbaker said the undefeated weekend will provide a big boost for the Cardinals who improved to 4-2.
"I think we're on a roll," Hazelbaker said. "This weekend will get us on a roll and lead us to more victories and more confidence."
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
