Even when things were at their worst for pitcher Elizabeth Milian this weekend, everything seemed to work out to her advantage. Milian gave up five runs in the second inning of Sunday's game against Kent State University only to have the stats washed away by the thunderstorm that canceled the game.
Milian had 12 strikeouts Friday against the University at Buffalo, and pitched a one-hit shutout against Kent State University on Saturday.
"Saturday was exciting," Milian said. "It kind of started Friday. I wasn't mentally there in the seventh inning. That night, I read some of the mental things my coach gave me over the summer. I pitched what I can do. I pitched to my spots. I pitched my game."
Milian had 12 strikeouts and gave up two runs in the Cardinals 4-2 victory. She also went 2-for-3 from the plate with two runs and an RBI.
In the second game, pitcher Laura Masch struck out 10 while giving up two runs in the Cardinals' 5-2 win.
"Both pitched well," coach Craig Nicolson said. "When they don't walk people, are throwing strikes and are changing their speed well, they're going to be effective. Both were very effective."
Saturday featured Milian and Kent State pitcher Kylie Reynolds. Milian leads the MAC in ERA but is second in the conference to Reynolds in strikeouts.
Neither pitcher fell behind in the count until the bottom of the third inning. Reynolds had seven strikeouts in the first four innings of the game and finished the game with 11.
The Cardinals scored the only run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Lisa Rozanski recorded Ball State's first hit of the game with a single. She notched her 16th stolen base of the season during the next at-bat. Pennock singled later in the same at-bat to score Rozanski for the lone run of the game.
While Pennock knocked in the only run of the game, she had a large role in the first half of the inning. With runners on second and third with one out, Pennock made a diving catch in left field and then threw to third base to catch the Kent State runner for not tagging up.
Milian's only hit she allowed gave up was in the sixth inning. Lauren Bockelhurst pinch hit for the designated player and bunted a single.
"It was a piddly hit," Milian said. "I was thinking about it and said, 'Dang, I can't believe that was the one hit I gave up, a piddly little grounder."
This marked the third time Milian has pitched a one-hit shutout. She did it twice her freshman year, against the University of Wisconsin and Indiana University.
After pitching against No. 15 Ohio State University on Wednesday, Buffalo on Friday and Kent State on Saturday, Milian started against Kent State on Sunday.
Milian walked three batters in a row, which sparked a five-run second inning for the Golden Flashes. With two outs in the inning, the game was delayed for two hours by lightning. After the rain delay, Milian stepped back on the mound and struck out the batter to end the top half of the inning.
Reynolds walked the first batter of the inning, had the next batter fly out and walked two more. The umpires then called the game because its danger to batters when pitchers are not able to have full control of a wet ball, game officials said.
With the game not long enough to constitute a full game, none of the stats from the game will count. This came as a big relief to Milian.
"We were very lucky," Milian said. "As far as I'm concerned, [Sunday] never happened. As far as the books, the MAC standings, coach, the team and I am concerned, what happened [Sunday] never happened."
After all the work Milian has done the past two weeks, 22 total innings last weekend, she said she is not being over worked and is not tired physically or mentally.
"I think a game like Saturday's really sharpens you mentally," Milian said. "You learn a lot from one-run games. Once we get to the MAC tournament you will need that mental edge."
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