SOFTBALL: Cardinals drop two to Miami

'Terrible defense' to blame for weekend losses to Redhawks

Nine errors and seven unearned runs led to a pair of losses for the Ball State University softball team against Mid-American Conference foe Miami University Saturday and Sunday.

Ball State (19-28,6-8 MAC) committed five errors in Saturday's 5-0 loss to Miami (20-31-1,8-6 MAC). The Cardinals then committed four errors in a 4-2 loss Sunday.

"We played terrible defense," coach Craig Nicholson said. "We were awful defensively. Even some of the plays we made looked shaky. I can't explain it."

On the weekend, Ball State had six players commit errors, and three of them committed multiple errors.

Miami's first three runs Saturday were unearned. Freshman Elizabeth Milian, who was charged with the loss, then gave up a pair of runs in the seventh to round out the Redhawks' scoring.

Ball State committed an error in the fourth inning, three in the fifth and one in the sixth.

"I can't even remember all of the errors [Saturday]," Nicholson said. "To me, four of the errors we made [Sunday] were all extremely routine plays."

Milian also pitched Sunday and once again lost, despite not allowing an earned run. All of Miami's runs came in the fourth inning, in which Ball State committed three errors.

Ball State committed two of the three errors with two outs in the inning.

The Cardinals had a 2-0 lead Sunday after senior Taylor Yancey had a two-run double in the third.

Miami then changed pitchers and Ball State was unable to get back on the board.

"We feel comfortable, I guess with a two-run lead and you just can't do that," Nicholson said. "To me it's never enough, but two-nothing is definitely not enough."

In addition to prolonging Miami's innings with errors, Ball State shortened its innings Saturday with base running mistakes.

The Cardinals were caught stealing second once and caught off first base twice in the game.

With the losses, Ball State fell two games below .500 in the MAC.

The losses really hurt because it will probably take a .500 record in the MAC to make the conference tournament, Nicholson said.

"These were really important games we needed to win," junior Abby Gross said.

Ball State was able to win two games at IPFW (5-23) Friday.

Sophomore Laura Masch led Ball State with a complete game, two hit performance in a 6-0 win in the second game. She recorded nine strikeouts in her second game back in the Cardinals' rotation. She has not given up a run in the 10 innings she has pitched since returning from a pulled neck muscle.

"I don't know how much we'll need a No. 3 pitcher down the stretch," Nicholson said. "But if we do or if we need her to come in and get a couple hitters out, I feel like she can come in and do that."

Also in the game, Yancey hit her eighth home run of the season, a Ball State record.

She went 7-13 this weekend with a home run, triple and a double. She batted in two runs, scored one and stole three bases. She also had three errors at third base, the most of any of the Cardinals this weekend.

The catcher, Gross, hit her thirteenth home run of her career in game one, an 8-5 win against IPFW, also a Ball State record.


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