During Ball State's opening round match-up with Eastern Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Wednesday, Jennifer Gilbert's bat came through once again.
In the bottom of the eighth inning and the score tied 1-1, Gilbert smacked a solo home run to left center to win the game for the Cardinals in walk-off fashion.
The home run was Gilbert's 15th home run on the year and her first walk-off home run. During a road match-up with Miami in the regular season, Gilbert hit a two-out grand slam in the top of the seventh inning that won the game for the Cardinals.
Gilbert said it was never her intention to hit a home run in that particular situation.
"I was just trying to fight and stay within the count," Gilbert said. "I wasn't trying to get a big hit or anything. I was just trying to foul anything off. It just so happens I put enough on it and it happened to go out."
"But, it's really exciting to get a walk-off home run or a walk-off hit to score the winning run," she said. "It's an awesome feeling."
At the start of the game, both teams were hitting the ball in clutch situations. In the top of the first inning with two outs, Eastern Michigan junior left fielder McKenna Russ drove in junior third baseman Jessica Richards off of an RBI single to left center.
In the bottom half of the inning, Ball State matched Eastern Michigan's two-out score with one of its own. Gilbert tied the score at 1-1 when she drilled an RBI single to left field that drove in junior catcher Amanda Montalto.
For the next six innings, neither team scored another run.
After holding Eastern Michigan to zero in the top of the eighth inning, Ball State broke the tie with Gilbert's walk-off solo home run to left center.
After losing in her last four appearances, sophomore right-hander Audra Sanders struck out nine batters and gave up four hits on her way to picking up her 18th win on the year.
Montalto said the key to Sander's success against Eastern Michigan was her different pitches.
"She (Sanders) was mixing it up very well," Montalto said. "She was hitting her spots a lot better than she has been. I also think since school is over with and she doesn't have to worry about finals, it is a huge stress off of her shoulders.
Coach Craig Nicholson said winning a game in walk-off fashion can be huge going into the rest of the MAC Tournament.
"Sometimes in the long run, it's better to win like that because it gets the momentum built up," Nicholson said. "Plus, you have that excitement and hope it can carry over into tomorrow's game and then you can keep it rolling."
Ball State will face No. 1 seed Western Michigan in the second round of the MAC Tournament Thursday. First pitch is at 1:30 p.m.
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