April 2, 2008

Box Score

MUNCIE, IN - Visiting Dayton jumped out to an early lead but could not hold on in 4-2 loss at Ball State in non-conference baseball action Wednesday afternoon. With its third straight loss, UD falls to 14-11 overall on the season.

The Flyers out hit the Cardinals 10-7 on the day, but a pair of BSU runs in the seventh inning proved to be the difference in another closely contested game for Dayton. Three of the last four games have been decided by three runs or less for UD.

Three Dayton players tallied multi-hit performances on the afternoon. Kevin Miller led the way with a 2-for-4 effort that included a double and a RBI. Max Navalinski and Jacob Spaeth also singled twice for the Flyers, which stranded nine runners on base throughout the day.

Redshirt freshman Bobby Simmons made his first career start at second base and collected his first collegiate RBI on a ground ball in the second inning for UD while Ryan Nevill and Cole Tyrell each singled and scored a run.

Jake Hoover had a solid start on the mound for Dayton after allowing just one earned run on three hits and two strikeouts over 4.0 innings pitched.

Chris Beesley and Sean Finn each threw one scoreless inning pitched with Beesley picking up a pair of strikeouts and Finn adding another.

Lucas Farden suffered the loss after giving up only one earned run on two hits during the seventh inning. He fell to 2-4 on the season.

Freshmen Tim Corbey and Burny Mitchem combined to throw a scoreless eighth inning to finish the day on the mound for the Flyers.

After Dayton battled to get two runners on with just one out in the top of the first, UD was held off the scoreboard and gave Ball State the first opportunity to score. BSU leadoff batter Dean Anna lifted a fly ball to centerfield that was lost in the sun and fell to the ground for a double. Anna then waited for the Flyer third baseman to make the throw on a slow ground ball before advancing to third base. The Cardinals then scored on a RBI groundout to second to take a 1-0 lead.

The Flyers countered with another aggressive inning at the plate in the top of the second. Ryan Nevill started by reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman. Cole Tyrell then ripped a double into the left field corner and after just four pitches UD has runners at second and third with no outs. Bobby Simmons picked up his first collegiate RBI on a groundout to second base. Kevin Miller followed with a hard line drive to left centerfield that fell just short of the diving Cardinal centerfielder. Miller went all the way to second on the play and Tyrell scored from second. Jacob Spaeth then punched a bloop hit into shallow left field to give Dayton runners on the corners with one out. However, the Flyers' aggressiveness led it into the second out of the inning as Spaeth stole second base and when the throw went directly to the shortstop in his normal fielding position Miller was out at home on a quick relay to end the threat with Dayton ahead 2-1.

Ball State evened the score with an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Dayton kept the game knotted a 2-2 by throwing Kolbrin Vitek at home on a double steal attempt after a relay to second base and back to Scott Dunwoody behind the plate.

After the pitching took over for the next few innings, Ball State scored twice in the seventh inning following a double, error and a two-RBI single to right field off the bat of Justin Rogers for a 4-2 Cardinal victory.