Ball State Softball's last six games
def. Bethune-Cookman, 1-0
def. Bethune-Cookman, 2-0
JU/UNF Spring Break Challenge
def. Cleveland State, 4-2
def. North Florida, 8-2
def. Georgetown, 10-0
def. Presbyterian, 3-0
"We need to find that spark"
After a 1-4 finish in Clearwater last weekend, junior Haley Dominique felt as if her team needed something to get them going. They needed to grind for wins. They needed to ignite.
Heading east to Daytona Beach for a double header against Bethune-Cookman, Ball State Softball (18-9, 0-0 MAC) found that spark to ignite a six game win streak taking down the likes of Bethune Cookman (twice), Cleveland State, North Florida, Georgetown, North Florida and Presbyterian.
"Something hit us at Bethune-Cookman," Dominique said. "We didn't win by a lot of runs, but we just grinded out those games. We had more of a will to win, we won the next four and here we are."
Outscoring their opposition 28-4 over the corse of six games, the team was lockdown on the plate. In the run, the team blasted the ball over the fence seven different times, two of which were eight plus run victories.
"We played the game within the game better," head coach Megan Ciolli-Bartlett said. "Our pitch selection got a lot better and our swings got more confident as we gained momentum and better results... It looks like as we settle into a lineup, the hitters are starting to figure it out."
In the offensive surge, Dominique was key for the Cardinals rise this past weekend. She connected with the ball seven times for six runs, three home runs and a RBI of seven. Showing power as a led off hitter Bartlett said that this has just made her even more dynamic.
"She's really just trying to keep the ball in the ballpark and I hope the way she's batting will take an emotional toll on pitchers," Bartlett said. "When your lead off hitter hits a bomb first at bat in the game and you're already down 1-0 after seeing the first batter, that's a serious momentum shift for us."
Strong play at home correlated inside the circle as well. The unit saw wins and saves from all five of their pitchers, including four shutouts. After a rough start, senior Aeshia Miles picked up the win against Cleveland State to narrow out to 5-5 on the season. She struck out nine and only allowed one run over six innings.
"Seeing everyone pick up wins this weekend really boosts our confidence," Miles said. "Things that we may be working on or struggled with early on in the season are starting to work out. Coach Josh is doing a great job of putting us in situations in which we can succeed at and that's pretty awesome."
With one non-conference tournament left in Macon, Georgia next weekend, Bartlett said that she believes the team is beginning to click and find their identity. A strong showing this weekend has proven that the Cardinals can hit.
"The top of the lineup is starting to consistently set the tone," Bartlett said. "They showed some moments of being pretty dangerous early on, but not consistently. That was the change from the last six games. The offensive pressure on the opponents made a big difference."
Looking even further ahead, the team is aiming at another successful bout down south to roll into Mid-American Conference play. They will open their season up at home against Akron, who has also been challenged in the early season.
"We're going to try and ride this wave," Dominique said. "After these six games, we want to continue with this momentum in next weekend and eventually into MAC."
Contact Jack Williams with any comments at jgwilliams@bsu.edu or on Twitter @jackgwilliams
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