Big Second Game Pushes 'Dons to Split with Cardinals

Wednesday, April 3

Fort Wayne, Ind.

3 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

12-7

Ball State

19-10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ball State	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	3	6	1
IPFW	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2	0

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Big Second Game Pushes 'Dons to Split with Cardinals

4/3/2013 8:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

GAME ONE BOX SCORE (.pdf) | GAME TWO BOX SCORE (.pdf) | PHOTO GALLERY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Behind a strong pitching effort from Megan Flenniken, and a 5-for-6 day from Larissa Franklin, the IPFW Mastodons split a non-conference doubleheader with the Ball State Cardinals, falling 3-1 in the opener before taking the nightcap by a 3-1 score.

Franklin's 5-for-6 day pushed her season batting average to .465 for IPFW (13-7), while Hillary Kartman and Kayti Hanson were each 2-for-5 on the day. Kartman scored twice, as Franklin and Taylor Gordy Prescott scored the team's other two runs on the day, as all four of the RBI's came from different batters.

Ball State (19-11) did not trail in the opener, using a two-run single in the top of the fourth inning to take out to a 2-0 lead, and added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to put the score at 3-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, Dani Pugh drew an inning-opening walk, before being lifted Gordy Prescott as a pinch hitter. A groundout moved the freshman to second, before advancing to third on a wild pitch, as a groundout from Audrey Mintari ended the Ball State shutout attempt.

Larissa Franklin had each of IPFW's two hits in the game, going 2-for-3 at the plate, while Miranda Kramer picked up the loss, going the entire seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing three runs. She struck out nine, while walking four and hitting a batter.

The Mastodons struck first in the nightcap when Kartman drilled a 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field, pushing the 'Dons ahead by one. A two-run bottom of the fifth inning took IPFW to a 3-0 lead, as a Franklin single scored Kartman - who opened the inning with a walk - before Hanson singled home Franklin, after the sophomore stole her 14th base of the season.

The shutout attempt was snapped for Flenniken in the top of the sixth inning, but the Cardinals were held to just the solitary run over the course of the seven innings, as the junior from Cincinnati held the high-powered Ball State offense in check for the majority of the contest.

Franklin was 3-for-3 on the day, while Kartman was 2-for-2 and Hanson 2-for-4. Kartman scored twice, while Franklin, Hanson, and Kartman each drove in a run. Flenniken improved to 5-3 on the season as she struck out eight Cardinal batters, walking just two and giving up a run while allowing seven hits in the game.

The Mastodons return to action on Thursday, April 4, when the squad travels to Chicago to face off against the Loyola Ramblers in a doubleheader slated for 3 p.m. EST.

~ Feel the Rumble ~