Balance between offense and defense has been a problem for the Ball State softball team all season long.
During its four game road trip in Ohio this weekend, Ball State finally found that balance.
Winning three out of four games overall against Mid-American Conference foes Ohio and Akron, Ball State opened conference play with a 3-1 record. The Cardinals moved to 22-14 on the season with the wins.
Coach Craig Nicholson said one of the keys to Ball State's success was the pitching staff.
"Our walks were down this weekend and we pitched ahead in the count more," he said. "When we can do that, we can be successful."
Ball State scored a combined 26 runs in the four games while the pitching staff gave up 11 runs in 26 innings of work. The Cardinals also committed zero errors in the field.
In its first two games of the road trip on Friday, Ball State swept a doubleheader against Ohio.
In the first game, the Cardinals won 7-6 in eight innings. Junior catcher Amanda Montalto went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one of them being the go-ahead RBI in extra innings.
In the second game, Ball State continued to be offensive, scoring 12 runs on 15 hits. Freshman first baseman Taylor Rager went 3-4 with a grand slam in the top of the first. Junior right-hander Kim Mazzapica pitched all five innings for Ball State, giving up four hits and three runs.
Rager praised her teammates and coaches for her recent success.
"I really struggled at the beginning of the year, and [the teammates and coaches] were all behind me 100 percent," Rager said.
Following Friday's victories, the Cardinals traveled to Akron, Ohio, and split two games against the Zips.
Defeating Akron in the first game on Saturday, Ball State scored seven runs on 10 hits while giving up only one run on two hits.
Freshman designated hitter Jennifer Gilbert went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an RBI double.
The Cardinals ended its road trip Sunday with a 1-0 loss to the Zips. They struggled offensively throughout the game, tallying only four hits in 25 at-bats.
Ball State continues MAC play Saturday and Sunday, when it travels to Oxford, Ohio, to play Miami. First pitches are at 2 and 1 p.m., respectively.
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