Jumping out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning, the Ball State University baseball team needed extra innings to win the season-closing series.
The Cardinals (20-34, 8-19 Mid-American Conference) allowed MAC-leading Central Michigan University to score four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings squandering their 9-2 lead.
However, in the seventh inning Ball State tied the game 10-10 when center fielder Wayne Bond doubled and drove in pinch-hitter Joe Mack.
Neither team capitalized in the eighth and ninth innings, sending the game into extra innings.
The Chippewas went down in order in the top of the 10th, giving Ball State a chance to win in the bottom of the inning.
Eric Earnhart and Ryan Chenoweth walked setting the stage for left fielder Nate Fields. Fields hit the ball into the outfield sending Earnhart home to win the game 11-10.
In the fifth inning, catcher Alex Schmid was chasing down a pop-up foul ball when he ran into the Chippewas dugout. He managed to hold onto the ball for the out and did not sustain any injuries.
"The sun was in my eyes," Schmid said. "I had no idea I was that close."
Coach Greg Beals said he was not surprised at his catcher's effort.
"It was a great play and an indication of the effort level and playing hard," Beals said.
In Thursday's game Ryan DeGeeter, in his final collegiate start on the mound, picked up the victory. He pitched seven innings, allowing one run on eight hits, while walking four and struck out five. With the win, DeGeeter improved to 5-6 to end his senior campaign.
Josh Vollmer relieved DeGeeter to begin the eight inning. He struck out one and walked one in a scoreless eighth inning.
To close out the game, Beals sent in closer Kyle Heyne. Heyne successfully shut down the Chippewas and picked up his 10th save of the season. That save had historical significance. It was his 24th career save, tying him with Ron Schrock for the most in Ball State history.
Beals said he was pleased with how the season wrapped up.
"To win four out of five games to close out the season shows character in a losing season," Beals said.
The end of the season was an emotional time for many Cardinals. Senior Matt Gard said he was surprised at how the last game affected him.
"Seeing everybody is harder to deal with than I expected," Gard said.
With their sixth place finish in the MAC West division the Cardinals will not play in the MAC Tournament for the first time since 1996.
By losing two of three, the Chippewas lost the regular season MAC Championship. However, they will join Eastern Michigan University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Toledo, Kent State University and Miami University in the 2007 MAC Tournament.
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