Despite a comeback win Sunday to split two with Northern Illinois, the Ball State (20-10) softball team struggled to play the level it has all season. But a midweek game at Wright State (14-17) gives them a chance to clean up their mistakes before they head into their first home series.
The Cardinals had their worst loss Saturday and followed that with a wild game. After jumping out to a five-run lead after two innings, they surrendered seven runs on a sloppy four errors in the third inning. The comeback was a statement about the team's ability to fight through its own adversity.
"Saturday was a fluke," senior catcher Amanda Montalto said. "It wasn't us. We didn't show up to play. And Sunday we showed up to play. Yeah, we had an inning with a lot of errors, but we picked it up and we scored runs again."
The biggest benefit of the midweek game is the ability to get back to softball if the team didn't play very well during the weekend, coach Craig Nicholson said. But he feels that every game is huge because the team still has the ability to reach 35 or 40 wins this season.
Montalto expects big things from the Cardinals at home this season.
"I just want it to be a point where we never lose at home," she said. "This is the first weekend where we can make it that we are not going to lose at home this year."
That quest begins with Ohio (14-15) and Akron (13-18). Akron boasts the speed in the MAC with a conference team high in stolen bases. Nicholson said the biggest factor in slowing them down is to get an early lead.
Montalto said she wasn't worried even if they did run a lot because she expects backup junior catcher Sadie Robertson to play both games.
"We're going to put our best defensive team out there and Sadie Robertson has a cannon," Montalto said. "She has a great arm and if that means she has to catch then she has to catch.
"I don't think that a lot of people are going to steal off her this weekend. So I'm looking forward to seeing how many people she's going to throw out."
Ball State's game at Wright State starts at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The first home game of the season against Ohio begins at 1 p.m.
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