Bowling Green State University Athletics
Ball State Hangs On To Top Miami, 19-16
May 24, 2002 | Baseball
May 24, 2002
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Ball State University scored in all nine innings, yet had to hang on for a 19-16 win over Miami in the Mid-American Conference Baseball Tournament Friday (May 24). The tournament is being held at Bowling Green's Steller Field.
With the win, Ball State (33-22) stays alive in the tourney, and will face Kent State in a 1:00 p.m. contest Saturday (May 25), regardless of the outcome of the KSU-Central Michigan game later Friday. Miami (31-28) is eliminated from the tournament.
Trailing, 19-10, Miami scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth. The tying run was on deck when BSU relief pitcher Michael Penn got Michael Carlin to fly out to left to end the game.
The Cardinals had a total of 26 hits, just one shy of the tournament single-game record, for the second consecutive game. Every player in the BSU lineup had at least one hit, also for the second-straight contest.
BSU got four runs on just six pitches to start the game. After Ben Schroeder and Paul Henry each singled, Brad Snyder and Matt Deckman had back-to-back homers off MU starter Billy Kieninger.
Snyder was 5-of-6 in the game, tying the MAC Tournament record for hits. He also had seven RBI to match that tourney record. Teammate Adam Metzler also had five hits in the contest.
The Cards got three more runs in the second frame, then got a run on Kiel Holman's leadoff homer in the third.
BSU got a fourth-inning marker before Miami got on the scoreboard with three runs in the bottom half of the frame. The big blow of that inning was a two-run blast by Andi Scheidt.
Snyder answered with a two-run single in the top of the fifth, before MU put a six-spot on the board in the bottom half. After Sam Sellery and Ryan Edginton each had run-scoring singles, Scheidt was hit by a pitch to load the bases. BSU reliever John Pettibone entered the game and got a strikeout, but then Paul Frietch hit an opposite-field grand slam to left to cut the lead to 11-9.
The Cardinals kept the offense rolling, however, as a Schroeder bases-loaded walk in the sixth was followed by a two-run single off the bat of Henry. A fielder's choice plated the fourth run of the inning.
Miami scored a run in the bottom of the inning, but BSU's Jason Bucholtz hit a two-out double in the seventh, and another run scored on a passed ball.
BSU got single runs in each of the next two innings to take a nine-run lead into the bottom of the ninth, but Miami nearly came all the way back.
Adam Moos had a pinch-hit single to score a run, and Zach Schmidt plated another with a single of his own. BSU's Michael Johnston came on in relief, and got a strikeout, but George Stegmiller singled to load the bases and chase Johnston. Penn replaced him, and was greeted by David Cook's two-run double. Then, Sellery reached on an error as another run scored, and a Galloway fielder's choice scored Cook to bring the RedHawks within three. But, Penn retired Carlin to end the three-hour, 31-minute game.
In addition to the five-hit games from Snyder and Metzler, the Cardinals got three hits from Henry, Schoeder, Bucholtz and Scott French. Schroeder scored four runs in the contest.
Miami got a 4-for-5 effort from Edginton, who scored three times. Cook had three hits in a losing cause.
Pettibone got the win in relief, his first decision of the year. He allowed six runs and six hits in three-and-two-thirds innings, walking one and striking out five.
Kieninger (5-6) took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) and 10 hits in two innings.
