KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan softball team dropped both games of a home doubleheader to Ball State, falling in the opener 4-3 and in the second game 14-4, on Wednesday afternoon.
GAME 1
Ball State took the lead on the first batter of the game when Maia Pietrzak hit a solo home run over the left field fence. Kara Gunter pushed BSU's lead to 3-0 in the third inning on a two-RBI single in the top of the third.
The Broncos (11-30, 5-11 MAC) got on the board in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 3-1.
Micaela Booth grounded out to second base with runners on second and third, scoring
Riley Dittmar. Pietrzak picked up her second RBI of the game in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly, to push the Cardinals' lead to 4-1. WMU responded in the bottom of the fifth with another groundout with runners on second and third. This time it was
Tristen Head hitting it to the shortstop to score
Taylor Wolfe.
Jadeyn Merrill scored after reaching base on an error and driving in
Payton Kelly, who had started off the inning with a double. Western Michigan was able to get the tying run to third in the bottom of the seventh but
Jordan Smith grounded out to the shortstop to end the game.
Freshman pitcher
Kaylee Salyer (2-9) pitched her team-best fourth complete game for the Broncos, also striking out three Cardinals on the day.
GAME 2
The Cardinals, once again, struck first to start the game. McKenna Mulholland doubled to right-center to drive in two runs in the top of the first. Ashlee Lovett then hit a sacrifice fly to score another Gunter and take a 3-0 lead. Western Michigan immediately responded in the bottom of the first. Dittmar tripled to start things off and Head singled right after her to drive her in. Head advanced to second on a passed ball and then moved to third after Smith grounded out. Kelly then doubled to right field to score her, cutting the lead to 3-2.
The Cardinals pushed the lead to 4-2 on a RBI single in the top of the second and then opened the game up in the top of the fourth with five runs. Head hit a solo home run over the center field wall to cut the lead to 9-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Cardinals responded with a run in the sixth and then a grand slam in the top of the seventh to push ahead 14-3. Booth hit a RBI double in the bottom of the second to score Dittmar for the game's final run.
NEXT UP
Western Michigan heads on the road to take on Akron on Saturday for a doubleheader, beginning at 3 p.m. The two teams then meet on Sunday at noon.
