GYMNASTICS: Golden Flashes fend off Cardinals
March 1, 2010Ball State (5-7, 0-4 Mid-American Conference) was able to count 20 clean routines in Sunday's meet, allowing the Cardinals to get their second-best score of the season.
Ball State (5-7, 0-4 Mid-American Conference) was able to count 20 clean routines in Sunday's meet, allowing the Cardinals to get their second-best score of the season.
Hobbs earned his first collegiate win in only his second appearance.
Junior forward Emily Maggert, who recorded her 21st career double-double with a game-best 15 points and 13 boards, secured the best rebounding season in Ball State history in Saturday's game. Maggert has 312 boards on the season, passing Jessica Reiter for the best single season in Cardinals history.
Ball State is more than halfway through its regular season, and the wear and tear of the sport has started to take its toll on the gymnasts. Coach Nadalie Walsh said she may rest some gymnasts so they are in peak shape come the MAC Championships.
Detroit Mercy came into Saturday's action riding a three-match win streak with one win coming against Mid-American Conference opponent University of Toledo. Despite the tougher competition, Ball State took care of business, winning four of its singles matches in straight sets.
The first four seeds in the MAC Tournament earn the important first-round bye. The first two seeds go to the West and East Division champions and the next two seeds are the next best conference teams based on MAC records. Seeds five through 12 must play a first-round MAC Tournament game at campus sites before advancing to quarterfinal play in Cleveland against seeds one through four.
Emily Maggert, not sporting the protective mask she wore earlier this week against Northern Illinois University, scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Ball State. Ty'Ronda Benning posted 12 points while Audrey McDonald added 11 to join Maggert in double figures.
The 45-42 Toledo win gave the Rockets their first MAC win of the season in 15 tries and snapped their 19-game losing streak as Ball State enters its regular season finale Thursday at Western Michigan needing a win.
The Blazers snatched a 10-9 extra-innings win from the Cardinals' clutch, coming back from deficits of 5-2 and 9-7 in the late innings. After a 6-0 win earlier in the day, the victory in the nightcap gave UAB (2-2) a sweep of the doubleheader.
The Cardinals run-ruled Wright State University 10-0 in Elizabeth Milian's no-hitter on Friday, and followed that up by sweeping Austin Peay State University and Central Connecticut State University Saturday by combined 20-4 scores heading into today's game against undefeated University of Tennessee at Martin.
Ball State continues play in the three-day tournament with a 10 a.m. matchup with Austin Peay State University (3-6) and follows with Central Connecticut State University (0-2).
With the win, the team not only equals its win total from last season (five), but heads into the second half of the season with momentum, which coach Amy Behrman said could be instrumental to the team's future success.
Nationally, Toledo ranks No. 345 out of 347 Division I teams in scoring average (54.4), No. 341 in scoring margin (-13.3 points per game), No. 344 in steals per game (4.2) and No. 332 in blocks per game (1.8).
The loss drops Ball State to 9-5 (3-4 MIVA) and 0-4 against ranked opponents this season.
The team's goal has shifted from winning games now to preparing to make a run in the MAC Tournament, but by winning out Ball State would finish .500 in the MAC and just one game below .500 for the season, something that a month ago didn't seem possible.
After Saturday's doubleheader, the team plays IPFW in its last match of a seven-game homestand that spanned all of February. After the remaining home matches, Ball State heads West to battle teams in Las Vegas.
The championships are slated to resume at 1:30 p.m. with the high jump and shot put.
Reliever Seth Hobbs (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless inning for the victory, and Morgan Coombs picked up the save. Blake Huddleston (0-1) gave up all four runs in the ninth and was the losing pitcher.
Stymied by UAB starting pitcher Beau Pender, Ball State dropped the first game of Saturday's doubleheader 6-0.
Ball State is led by reigning Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year Elizabeth Milian, who is 2-1 this season with a 0.35 ERA and 35 strikeouts.
