The Cardinals only trailed No. 33 Kent State University, which went on to win its 12th straight MAC title. Kent State is still the only program to have won a MAC Championship in women's golf. Ball State's 911 in the three-day event was one stroke better than third-place University of Toledo, while Eastern Michigan University finished in fourth with a 926.
The Cardinals were able to balance their offense as four players ended with double digit kills. Outside attacker Eric Schulte led the Cardinals in kills with 12 while Nelson, J.D. Gasparovic and outside attacker Lee Meyer ended the match with 11 kills each.
Final round play from The Hawthorns Golf Course in Fishers, Ind. wraps up today. For complete coverage of the MAC Championships, read Monday's edition of The Ball State Daily News.
Due to weather conditions and limited court time, the teams played only singles matches to determine the winner.
In the first of two away matches on the weekend, Ball State was only able to add another match to a long stretch of losses. The team has now lost eight of its last nine matches, dropping its overall record to 7-13 and its Mid-American Conference record to 1-6.
Ball State (30-13, 8-4 Mid-American Conference) continues play today when it plays host to Toledo (9-30, 3-8 MAC) for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
Despite most of the runners and throwers shifting their focus on one event, Saturday's meet should be easier on the athletes as it is a non-scored meet. The meet is also going to field a wide variety of competitors from the Division I, II and III levels.
Ball State enters postseason play as the No. 4 seed and is paired up with fifth-seeded IPFW. The Cardinals have defeated the Mastodons twice this season on Feb. 25 and April 3. The winner of tonight's match then moves on to play at No. 1 seed Ohio State University, which received a first-round bye. The Buckeyes have already defeated the Cardinals twice this season.
Sweeping a doubleheader Saturday at Central Michigan University, Ball State University climbed into first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division.
Coach Bill Richards said his team played a solid match and did what it had to do. He said it was a difficult match to get a read on because of Chicago State playing just five players, but today's match against Northern Illinois will tell them more.
Central Michigan defeated Ball State University 4-3 in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Friday. Jesse Hernandez (6-1) threw a complete game for the victory. Perci Garner (5-1) allowed four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings for his first loss this year.
McDonald was a member of the Ball State staff for nine seasons, including the 2007-08 season when she took over the program as interim head coach following then-coach Tracy Roller's departure due to illness. McDonald was a primary candidate for the head coach position the following season, and decided to stay on the staff when current coach Kelly Packard was hired.
Ball State is coming off a loss to the University at Buffalo which destroyed any chance the Cardinals had to get the MAC regular season title. The next two matches for Ball State now become tune-ups for the Championships. Chicago State comes into the match on a twelve-match losing streak, winless in all of its MAC matches.
Ball State still has to get the bad taste out of its mouth from its last game against the Boilermakers on Wednesday. The Cardinals (28-13) managed only one hit off Boilers' starter Suzie Rzegocki, a double from senior third baseman Jessie Ware, in their 7-0 loss.
Ball State (28-13) was swept by Purdue University (22-22) on the Cardinals' home field. The Boilermakers took the first game 6-4 and the second 7-0.
The two matches will close out the regular season for Ball State before the team travels to the Mid-American Conference Championships next weekend. With an overall record of 7-12 and one win in their last eight matches, the Cardinals are determined to pick up a victory.
No. 13 Ball State University opens MIVA Tournament play Saturday night in Worthen Arena against IPFW, and the seniors don't want it to be their last match in a Ball State uniform. The Cardinals are now in a one-and-done situation from here on out.
Ball State (17-20, 9-3) will face perhaps its sternest test of conference play when it kicks off action against the West Division at Central Michigan University (21-13, 10-2) on Friday. The Cardinals are a game behind the first-place Chippewas in the West.
Ball State lost 10-5 at Butler University on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulldogs (12-21) had just nine wins against Division I competition entering the game.
The Cardinals head to Fishers, Ind., today to begin play in the MAC Championships, and though it will be senior Kirsty O'Connor's last meet for Ball State, she'll have plenty of opportunities to keep up with the team next year when she becomes the graduate assistant for the University of Akron women's golf team.
