Easter Sunday couldn't have gone much better for the Ball State (24-11) softball team. The Cardinals made short work of the Akron Zips (13-22) in a resounding 11-0 five-inning victory.
The victory showcased the Cardinals at their best, dominating in every facet of the game.
"It's nice for our kids to get a chance to just relax a little bit and win something easy for a change," coach Craig Nicholson said.
It wasn't easy for the Cardinals until the bottom of the third inning. With a 2-0 lead, the Cardinals broke the game open with five runs in the third and four runs in the fourth.
Ball State tacked on two runs in the first thanks to senior catcher Amanda Montalto's seventh home run of the season. Her two RBIs gave her another school record for the Cardinals with 130 RBIs all-time. Montalto finished the day 1-1 and added two walks.
Montalto said she was more focused on getting the team runs.
"Honestly, I didn't know," she said. "I had no idea until they announced it."
Nicholson said the key for Montalto's career has been consistency and is impressed with her ability to not get frustrated when teams pitch around her.
"To hold that record, you have to produce over four years," Nicholson said.
Senior Audrey Workman bounced back after a tough game Friday to shut down the Zips. She pitched a complete game allowing only one hit and one walk. Nicholson said she was able to pitch inside effectively and not shy away after hitting three batters.
"We really pounded that inside corner," Nicholson said. "She did a really good job of controlling that side of the plate and then being able to change speeds."
The biggest reason for the success on the inside corner was her ability to get ahead in the count, Nicholson said.
"I had a different mentality on the mound than I did the other day," Workman said. "I just thought to myself go right at the hitters, make them hit my pitch."
The Cardinals finished the weekend 3-1 after the double header split with Ohio. Nicholson said it was important to end the weekend like that as they face another brutal week with Purdue (24-11) and Miami (23-12). With Ball State still eyeing 35 wins, tough non-conference games against teams like Purdue can have a big impact on the team's confidence.
Ball State faces Purdue at 3 p.m. on Thursday at home and then travel to Oxford, Ohio, on Saturday to face the Mid-American Conference East Division leader Miami in a two-game series.
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