For the first time in 2024, Ball State and Western Michigan met on the same field. While the Cardinals and Broncos never faced one another during the regular season due to a rainout, the two clashed in the opening game of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Softball Championship.
After a strong offensive start, the red and black defeated the Broncos 6-0, giving first-year Ball State head coach Helen Peña her first post season victory with the Cardinals.
The contest at Akron’s Firestone Stadium started off with a bang as Ball State grabbed two runs after junior Maddie Weaver hit a two-RBI triple. Weaver went on to score another run in the top of the fifth with an RBI single.
The Cardinals grew their lead in the top of the sixth as graduate students Haley Wynn and Jazmyne Armendariz each scored runs with an RBI single and a two-RBI double.
While Ball State found success at the plate, its results in the circle were no different. Senior starting pitcher Francys King threw a complete game with three strikeouts and one walk. She limited the Western Michigan offense to four hits.
Ball State will face No. 2 Ohio Thursday, May 9, with the first pitch set for 2:30. During the regular season, the Cardinals defeated the Bobcats 2-1 in a three-game series in Muncie.
Contact Zach Carter with comments at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or on X @ZachCarter85.
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