Ball State University – Official Athletics Site
The Cardinals (35-19, 21-8 Mid-American Conference) trailed 7-5 entering the bottom half of the seventh after the RedHawks (31-21, 22-7 MAC) put up three runs in the top half of the frame. Eight runs later and the hosts were on their way to a crucial win in their hopes to win the regular season conference championship.
Blake Bevis began and ended the game-deciding inning with a bang, hitting a solo home run over the left field wall to start the frame and capping it with a three-run inside-the-park homer to give the Cardinals a 13-7 lead.
Following the first longball by Bevis and a double from Alex Richter, freshman DJ Scheumann hit a pinch-hit two-run go-ahead home run to put the hosts ahead 8-7. It was the catcher’s second game-winning blast of the year after doing the same against Maryland back in February.
Nick Husovsky later plated two runs on a single in the inning before the inside-the-park four-base knock from Bevis to put the game away.
After the visitors got on the board in the first frame on a hit by pitch to force in a run, Ben Giovannetti hit a solo homer in the second to make the score a 1-1 tie.
Miami crossed home plate twice in the third, but Husovsky responded with a three-run blast in the fourth frame to give the Cardinals their first lead of the contest.
Dylan Grego brought runs in on sacrifice flies in the sixth and eighth innings to sandwich the big seventh.
Ball State starting pitcher Jacob Hartlaub struck out six, including three straight swinging in the second inning, in five innings of four-run ball and received no decision. Brendan Garza (3-0) got out of a jam in the seventh on his way to being credited with the win. John Chambers came on to get the last five outs including four punchouts.
Miami’s Kaden Pfeffer (2-1) surrended four runs in two frames to be hit with the loss.
Bevis went 3-for-4 with the two home runs and a walk on the day, while Husovsky had a 3-for-6 performance at the dish with five runs driven in. Gavin Balius collected two hits and two runs scored in a game where eight different Ball State players got hits and nine scored runs.
“Our boys battled and our bats got hot led by Blake Bevis, Nick Husovsky and DJ Scheumann,” Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. “Great team victory with a lot of guys contributing!”
Ball State is one game back of both Kent State and Miami in the league standings entering Saturday’s regular season finale at 2 p.m. The Cardinals will earn a No. 2 seed in next week’s MAC Tournament with a win Saturday or be the No. 3 seed with a loss.
