Ball State softball (3-9) opened the Citrus Classic I with a pair of losses Friday.
The Cardinals opened the afternoon with a quick-paced 1-0 loss to Oakland (5-1). Ball State only picked up two hits against Oakland right-hander Erin Kownacki.
Ball State right-hander Darcie Huber is now 3-2 on the season after recording seven strikeouts and allowing just one hit in the complete-game loss.
Reaching first on a lead-off bunt in the fourth inning, senior second baseman Lyndsay Hill advanced to second after sophomore third baseman Brittney Miller was hit by a pitch. Huber threw a wild pitch, advancing pinch-runner Brooke Beale to third base with no outs.
Huber came back to strike out the side looking, causing Oakland to strand two with no runs.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Golden Grizzlies rattled Huber on the mound, sending a runner to first on a throwing error. After the next two batters walked, Hill reached base on an RBI fielder’s choice, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead. A ground out to third ended the inning, forcing the Golden Grizzlies to leave two on base again.
The Cardinals offense went three up, three down in each of the remaining three innings to secure a 1-0 loss to the Golden Grizzlies.
Oakland left five baserunners on, while Ball State stranded four.
Ball State followed the loss to Oakland with another one-run loss, this time to Lehigh (2-0).
Scoreless through five innings, the Cardinals put their bats to work in the top of the sixth inning when junior Brittany Hopper reached first base on an error. In to pinch run, freshman Tara Morey advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Kennedy Wynn put the ball out to right-center for an RBI double to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
Lehigh fired back in the bottom half of the inning to tie it up 1-1. Senior Ashley Cole reached first on a throwing error and took advantage of the Cardinals' defense, advancing to third base after drawing an error on a throw to second base. Freshman Reva Alderman grabbed her second hit of the season, driving in Cole with an RBI single.
The Cardinals didn't score in the top of the seventh, and the Mountain Hawks scored on a walk-off single from senior Vicky Lattanzio after a single and a pair of errors loaded the bases.
Right-hander Carolyn Wilmes is now 0-5, though she didn't allow an earned run against Lehigh in 6.1 innings. She struck out five and allowed seven hits and two walks.
Ball State finishes the Citrus Classic I Saturday with another double-header against Georgia Southern at 11 a.m. and Liberty at 1:15 p.m.
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