The bottom of the sixth inning won the game for Ball State as it posted five runs to defeat Western Michigan 10-4 Sunday afternoon.
Pinch-hitter Lauren Schroeder hit a single to left fielder in the bottom of the sixth to start the rally for Ball State. Jennifer Gilbert followed with a single to send one runner home. Two more runs were scored on Western Michigan errors.
Sophomore Taylor Rager hit a home run over the right field wall, adding the last two runs of the game for the Cardinals.
“With this lineup, when we get to the second or third time through we just get more and more dangerous,” coach Craig Nicholson said following the win.
After winning in a 13-0 shutout the day before, Ball State’s win completed the two-game sweep of the visiting Western Michigan team. The team also remains undefeated in Mid-American Conference play.
Lockdown defense by the Cardinals in the top of the third sent the first three batters in the Broncos’ lineup back to the dugout. Freshman Kelsey Schifferdecker struck out the first batter followed by a groundout to junior third baseman Audrey Bickel.
Schifferdecker ended the third inning by throwing her third and final strikeout of the game.
The Broncos had their biggest offensive inning at the top of the fourth as they posted two runs off of three hits to give them their only lead of the game at 2-1.
Gilbert redeemed her struggling offense in the bottom of the fourth as she doubled to left center, bringing two runs home. Four Ball State runs were recorded in the fourth making the score 5-2 heading into the fifth.
“I needed to scoot up to the plate a little bit more and get my hands through and try to pull something,” Gilbert said.
Schifferdecker let two hits and two runs go in the top of the fifth before being replaced by junior redshirt Audra Sanders. Sanders recorded her first save of the season and allowed no hits or runs with three strikeouts over 2.2 innings.
Left handed pitching by Western Michigan proved challenging in the first three innings of the game as a majority of the Ball State lineup includes left handed players. Despite trouble, Nicholson is pleased with his team’s overall performance at the plate.
Ball State will play at home once again as it hosts Butler at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the softball complex.
“We need to recognize that we have a target on our back,” Gilbert said. “Everyone is going to try and play their best game against us.”
