Despite a bad hitting day, the Ball State University baseball team was able to pick up a victory in extra innings against Indiana Institute of Technology.
Ball State had two hits and one run in the bottom of the first, but did not pick up its third hit of the game until the seventh inning.
"[Indiana Tech's] pitcher wasn't very good; we've seen way better than that," junior center fielder Wayne Bond said. "I think guys were just anxious because they saw he doesn't throw all that hard and his fastball is straight."
Indiana Tech knotted the game at 1-1 with a home run in the seventh inning, and neither team scored in the eighth or ninth inning, sending the game into extra innings.
Ball State pitcher Aaron Hammons got into trouble in the top of 10th inning. Indiana Tech had a runner on third with two outs and leadoff hitter Seth Kuhl at the plate. Kuhl hit a hard ground ball to the third base line, and Cardinal third baseman Tyler Rogers made a diving stop and was successful in getting Kuhl out at first base, barely.
The play was not without controversy, however. Indiana Tech's first base coach argued the play with the umpire and was eventually tossed from the game.
"It's a huge out with a man on third base," coach Greg Beals said. "If Tyler doesn't come up and throw the guy out then they score a run."
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Rogers got a hit and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Indiana Tech pitcher Gary Wiejak. Wiejak proceeded to walk the next two Cardinal batters to load the bases, bringing Bond to the plate with one out.
"I was thinking 'just put the ball in play,'" Bond said.
Bond hit the ball between the third baseman and shortstop, allowing Rogers to score the game-winning run. Bond had both RBIs for Ball State in the game.
"Wayne did a good job and got two clutch RBIs," Beals said. "He controlled his barrel and hit two sharp balls through the infield."
Wiejak first took the mound in the seventh inning, and Ball State had a hard time adjusting to his sub-60 mph pitches and sidearm delivery.
"That's harder to hit than someone throwing 91 [mph]," Bond said. "You just got to sit back...because it's going to take awhile to get in there. It's crazy."
While Hammons got the win for Ball State, starter Brenden Stines had his best performance of the season, pitching six shutout innings allowing two hits, one walk and 12 strikeouts.
The Cardinals return to Ball Diamond today to play IPFW.
After Tuesday's game, Beals said he wasn't sure who was going to get the start on the mound for the Cardinals.
"[Jay] Broughton's an option, we got [Jeff] Loveys, [Tom] Mueller, [Luke] Behning, there's a couple other ones," Beals said.
One thing Beals is sure about is the normal starting catcher, Zach Dygert, will not start today.
"[Alex] Schmid will catch tomorrow and give Dygert the day off," he said.
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