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Ball State University – Official Athletics Site
ATHENS, Ohio – – After being no-hit in a 2-0 loss to being the day, the Ball State softball team smashed four hits and scored two runs in the first inning of the nightcap to help secure a 5-2 victory Tuesday afternoon at league-leading Ohio. In the opening game, a two-out error in the […]
ATHENS, Ohio – – After being no-hit in a 2-0 loss to being the day, the Ball State softball team smashed four hits and scored two runs in the first inning of the nightcap to help secure a 5-2 victory Tuesday afternoon at league-leading Ohio.
In the opening game, a two-out error in the bottom of the sixth proved costly for the Cardinals (30-15; 15-8 MAC) as the Bobcats (34-15; 17-6 MAC) followed with the only hit of the contest; a two-run home run to right-center field.
It was the lone miscue on a virtually flawless game for junior Ella Whitney who allowed just the one hit over her 7.0 innings of work while striking out five. While she did issue a walk and hit a pair of Ohio batters, no Bobcat had managed to move past first base until the home run.
However, Ohio pitcher Skipp Miller was just as dominate, allowing just one walk and two hit in a no-hit performance her own. Both of Ball State’s hit batters came to open the top of the fourth, but BSU could not manufacture a run as the Bobcats were able to stop any rally attempt by catching redshirt catcher McKayla Timmons trying to steal third with one out.
The nightcap was a different story, luckily, as the Cardinals opened the game with four hits and a pair of runs in the top of the first. Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak started the contest with a single up the middle, while Timmons dropped a single into shallow right field to give BSU a pair of runners.
Two batters later, Whitney was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before a clutch two-out single up the middle from junior center fielder Ashlee Lovett drove in the first two runs.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the third, when Ohio plated one on a one-out single and another on a bases loaded sac fly two batters later.
Those were the lone blemishes on another strong outing by freshman pitcher Breanna Severino who limited the MAC leading Bobcats to four hits and two runs in picking up the complete game victory. Severino improved to 8-5 with the win in which she forced 14 fly outs and seven groundouts.
Severino’s effort set the stage for another rally from the top of the Ball State lineup in the top of the seventh which started with a double to left center from Pietrzak. Timmons followed with a single, and after stealing second, saw a perfectly executed squeeze bunt from senior left fielder Kara Gunter drive in Pietrzak for what proved to be the game-winning run.
The Cardinals were not done scoring, however, as senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson followed with an RBI single to drive in Timmons, while an error on the play allowed Gunter to cross the plate.
Ohio would get its first two batters on board in the bottom of the frame, with a walk and a single, but a fly to Gunter in left and back-to-back force plays ended the game.
NOTES
– Ball State batters were hit by four pitches on Tuesday, raising its NCAA-leading total to 83 … Pietrzak was hit once in each game, raising her season total to 12, while Timmons was hit in the opener and Whitney in the nightcap … Timmons was hit for the 15th time this season and is tied with redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland for the team lead … The 15 HBPs are also tied for the Ball State single season record with Lisa Rozanski (2008) and Hanne Studemann (2015).
– With the win in the nightcap, Ball State reached the 30-win mark for the 17th time in program history and for the first time since the 2021 squad went 37-18 … Of the 17 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 12 have come in the past 18 years.
– With her first inning single in the second game, Timmons became just the 11th player in program history to reach 200 career hits and is currently tied for 10th on the all-time list at 201.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals closes the 2025 regular season this weekend by hosting second-place Central Michigan for a three-game series at the Ball State Softball Stadium. The teams are scheduled to play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday at Noon.
In the opening game, a two-out error in the bottom of the sixth proved costly for the Cardinals (30-15; 15-8 MAC) as the Bobcats (34-15; 17-6 MAC) followed with the only hit of the contest; a two-run home run to right-center field.
It was the lone miscue on a virtually flawless game for junior Ella Whitney who allowed just the one hit over her 7.0 innings of work while striking out five. While she did issue a walk and hit a pair of Ohio batters, no Bobcat had managed to move past first base until the home run.
However, Ohio pitcher Skipp Miller was just as dominate, allowing just one walk and two hit in a no-hit performance her own. Both of Ball State’s hit batters came to open the top of the fourth, but BSU could not manufacture a run as the Bobcats were able to stop any rally attempt by catching redshirt catcher McKayla Timmons trying to steal third with one out.
The nightcap was a different story, luckily, as the Cardinals opened the game with four hits and a pair of runs in the top of the first. Sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak started the contest with a single up the middle, while Timmons dropped a single into shallow right field to give BSU a pair of runners.
Two batters later, Whitney was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before a clutch two-out single up the middle from junior center fielder Ashlee Lovett drove in the first two runs.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the third, when Ohio plated one on a one-out single and another on a bases loaded sac fly two batters later.
Those were the lone blemishes on another strong outing by freshman pitcher Breanna Severino who limited the MAC leading Bobcats to four hits and two runs in picking up the complete game victory. Severino improved to 8-5 with the win in which she forced 14 fly outs and seven groundouts.
Severino’s effort set the stage for another rally from the top of the Ball State lineup in the top of the seventh which started with a double to left center from Pietrzak. Timmons followed with a single, and after stealing second, saw a perfectly executed squeeze bunt from senior left fielder Kara Gunter drive in Pietrzak for what proved to be the game-winning run.
The Cardinals were not done scoring, however, as senior first baseman Kaitlyn Gibson followed with an RBI single to drive in Timmons, while an error on the play allowed Gunter to cross the plate.
Ohio would get its first two batters on board in the bottom of the frame, with a walk and a single, but a fly to Gunter in left and back-to-back force plays ended the game.
NOTES
– Ball State batters were hit by four pitches on Tuesday, raising its NCAA-leading total to 83 … Pietrzak was hit once in each game, raising her season total to 12, while Timmons was hit in the opener and Whitney in the nightcap … Timmons was hit for the 15th time this season and is tied with redshirt junior second baseman McKenna Mulholland for the team lead … The 15 HBPs are also tied for the Ball State single season record with Lisa Rozanski (2008) and Hanne Studemann (2015).
– With the win in the nightcap, Ball State reached the 30-win mark for the 17th time in program history and for the first time since the 2021 squad went 37-18 … Of the 17 seasons with 30-or-more wins, 12 have come in the past 18 years.
– With her first inning single in the second game, Timmons became just the 11th player in program history to reach 200 career hits and is currently tied for 10th on the all-time list at 201.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals closes the 2025 regular season this weekend by hosting second-place Central Michigan for a three-game series at the Ball State Softball Stadium. The teams are scheduled to play a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday at Noon.