BASEBALL: Ball State drops fourth straight game
March 18, 2012Coming off the best start of his career a week ago, right-hander T.J. Weir was roughed up at Louisville on Saturday in one of the worst starts of his career.
Coming off the best start of his career a week ago, right-hander T.J. Weir was roughed up at Louisville on Saturday in one of the worst starts of his career.
Louisville scored eight runs in the final two innings Friday, defeating Ball State 9-4.
The final weekend tune-up for Ball State before Mid-American Conference play begins March 23 may provide the Cardinals their biggest test of the season.
The frustration was palpable in coach Alex Marconi's voice. Though the Ball State starting rotation had seemingly been righted with a shakeup last weekend at Middle Tennessee State, the bullpen remained as much a problem as ever.
For the first three weekends of the season, Ball State struggled to get much of anything going on offense. It was ranked 256th in the nation with 59 hits, an average of 7.375 per game.
Ball State lost 7-4 at Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, falling to 3-8 this season.
Ball State beat Middle Tennessee State 5-4 Friday afternoon, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Tennessee beat Ball State 9-7 in Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday.
Its bats stifled by Missouri's starting pitching for the second day in a row, Ball State was again unable to overcome an early deficit and lost 9-2 Sunday.
Things didn't get much better for the Cardinals the rest of the afternoon and they lost to the Tigers 15-5.
Cal Bowling threw his fifth career complete game and Ball State beat Missouri 5-2 Friday night in Columbia, Mo.
The Cardinals begin their Spring Break trip Friday with a three-game series in Columbia, Mo., and Bautista is scheduled to start Saturday.
Coach Alex Marconi was left with mixed feelings after Ball State was swept in a three-game series at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this weekend. Before finishing the sweep with a 7-4 victory Sunday afternoon, the Blazers won each of the first two games in their last at bat.
Patrick Palmeiro, Rafael's son, hit a one-out, RBI triple in the 12th inning to give UAB a 1-0 victory against Ball State on Saturday.
Despite leading all day at UAB, Ball State was unable to close out a victory Friday evening.
After going 1-1 last weekend winning on Opening Day for the first time since 2005, coach Alex Marconi said he expects to see some adjustments from Ball State when it opens a three-game series Friday afternoon at UAB.
Despite rain cutting Ball State's opening weekend trip to Spartanburg, S.C., a day short, coach Alex Marconi said he is happy with the weekend's results. Ball State returns to Muncie with a 1-1 record after defeating Dayton 4-3 on Opening Day and losing 10-1 to USC Upstate on Saturday.
USC-Upstate scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning off Ball State left-hander Nestor Bautista and easily beat the Cardinals 10-1 Saturday.
Ball State defeats Dayton 4-3 in Spartanburg, S.C.
Ball State will open its season at noon in Spartanburg, S.C., against Dayton.
