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The frustration was palpable in coach Alex Marconi's voice. Though the Ball State starting rotation had seemingly been righted with a shakeup last weekend at Middle Tennessee State, the bullpen remained as much a problem as ever.
For the first three weekends of the season, Ball State struggled to get much of anything going on offense. It was ranked 256th in the nation with 59 hits, an average of 7.375 per game.
To start the ninth inning at Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, Ball State batters hit three consecutive singles. As Elbert Devarie walked to the plate representing the tying run, the four-run advantage the Blue Raiders held looked precarious.
With the tying run at the plate for Middle Tennessee State and starting pitcher Cal Bowling tiring in the eighth inning, coach Alex Marconi had a choice to make. Should he go to his bullpen, which had been inconsistent this season, or stick with Bowling even as his pitch count steadily climbed?
With the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday, Tennessee clung to a two-run lead as coach Dave Serrano went to the mound to talk to closer Nick Williams. Whatever Serrano told Williams worked.
Its bats stifled by Missouri's starting pitching for the second day in a row, Ball State was again unable to overcome an early deficit and lost 9-2 Sunday. Despite a victory Friday night, Ball State (2-6) was unable to leave Columbia, Mo., with a series win.
By the time Ball State retired a Missouri batter in the bottom of the first inning Saturday, it was in a five-run hole and already into its bullpen. Things didn't get much better for the Cardinals the rest of the afternoon and they lost to the Tigers 15-5.
For the second week in a row, Cal Bowling found himself on the mound in the top of the ninth trying to finish a complete game victory. Last week, Bowling gave up a pair of hits and Ball State went on to lose at UAB. Friday at Missouri, there would be no such problems.
After Nestor Bautista's first start of the season, a disastrous outing that saw the left-hander give up seven runs in 1 1/3 innings at USC-Upstate, coach Alex Marconi and pitching coach Jeremy Plexico sat down for a talk with him.
Coach Alex Marconi was left with mixed feelings after Ball State was swept in a three-game series at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this weekend. Before finishing the sweep with a 7-4 victory Sunday afternoon, the Blazers won each of the first two games in their last at bat.
In an afternoon light on offense, the son of one of Major League Baseball's most prolific hitters delivered the decisive blow. Patrick Palmeiro, Rafael's son, hit a one-out, RBI triple in the 12th inning to give UAB a 1-0 victory against Ball State on Saturday. It was the Blazers' second walk-off win against the Cardinals in as many days.
Despite leading all day at UAB, Ball State was unable to close out a victory Friday evening. The Cardinals took a three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, only to see the Blazers score four times without recording an out to win 4-3.
After going 1-1 last weekend winning on Opening Day for the first time since 2005, coach Alex Marconi said he expects to see some adjustments from Ball State when it opens a three-game series Friday afternoon at UAB.
Despite rain cutting Ball State's opening weekend trip to Spartanburg, S.C., a day short, coach Alex Marconi said he is happy with the weekend's results. Ball State returns to Muncie with a 1-1 record after defeating Dayton 4-3 on Opening Day and losing 10-1 to USC Upstate on Saturday.
USC-Upstate scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning off Ball State left-hander Nestor Bautista and easily beat the Cardinals 10-1 Saturday. The loss was Ball State's first of the season, coming a day after its thrilling Opening Day victory against Dayton.
Mitch Widau stepped to the plate in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and Kirby Campbell on second base. Ball State was tied with Dayton at three on Opening Day in Spartanburg, S.C.
Cal Bowling hasn't needed his alarm clock this week. The senior right-hander is so excited for baseball season to begin Friday; he has been waking up well before he needs to each morning. Tuesday, it was an hour early. Wednesday, an hour and a half.
The task of replacing former shortstop T.J. Baumet is not an easy one for coach Alex Marconi. Neither is filling two spots in the Cardinals' weekend rotation. But Marconi's job was made a bit easier this winter by the development of sophomore T.J. Weir.
Watching Ball State take live batting practice last week, coach Alex Marconi said he was confident his team would hit better this season. In fact, he was confident hitter's across the nation will fare better.
The same weather that drew rave reviews from the out-of-town visitors to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl last week has also been a boon for Ball State baseball. Almost since Jan. 27, the first day the NCAA permits baseball practices, the weather in Muncie has allowed the Cardinals to leave their normal winter home of the Field Sports Building for the roomier turf fields in the Briner Sports Complex.
