Brooms waving in the hands of opposing fans after a baseball game is never a good site for the team on the wrong end of a series sweep.
The bristles hurt even more when the string of losses comes at the hands of a Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe. Sunday the Ball State University (BSU) Cardinals (11-15, 5-1 MAC) defended their home diamond with a 17-8 victory to wrap up the series. The Red and White (11-15,1-5 MAC) also fell 6-3 Friday and 11-7 Saturday in Muncie, Ind.
"It's the second MAC series of the year and it was disappointing and frustrating," head coach Dan Simonds said. "The biggest thing about the game of baseball is you can't lose confidence."
Coach Simonds sent freshman Mac Thoreson to the mound Sunday in an attempt to come away with one victory. Thoreson kept the bases vacant until the third inning when the Cardinals crashed the party with an RBI double, gaining a 1-0 edge.
The Red and White could not answer in the next inning and the Cardinals smelt blood. Third baseman Stephen Claypool tattooed Thoreson's offering over the fence and built the Cardinal lead. Center fielder Cody Elliot stepped up to the plate and followed with a homerun of his own and the Red and White were in trouble. After picking off a runner, the RedHawks saw an end to the brutal inning, but another long ball by shortstop T.J. Baumet advanced the Cardinal lead to 4-0.
Senior Zak Hatfield singled to lead off the fifth frame and stole second base in an attempt to put a run on the scoreboard. After advancing to third on a bunt single by center fielder Ryan Curl, Hatfield could smell his destination. Second baseman Jon Edgington brought in the senior with a single and the RedHawks were on the board. The Cardinals walked in another RedHawk run and the score was close again at 4-2.
Thoreson walked the first batter he faced and was yanked by Simonds and then things got ugly for the Red and White. RedHawk pitchers granted first base to seven different Cardinals via walk in the fifth inning and the Cards cashed in for seven runs by playing small ball and taking advantage of the mistakes made by the Red and White. The score was quickly lopsided at 11-2 and Simonds' crew needed an answer fast.
"It didn't go well," Jon Edgington said. "We couldn't get any offense going. We have to realize that every game in the MAC counts."
The Red and White tried to turn it back on but the Cardinals were resilient, tallying four runs the next inning and one in the seventh stanza. Edgington and designated hitter Jordan Jankowski hit a pair of four baggers to headline a five run outburst in the eighth but it was too little too late for the RedHawks' seemingly silent sticks. Both squads spotted runs in their final at-bats and the Red and White looked down the barrel at an ugly loss.
"Confidence wise we need to get back to doing the things we were doing a few weeks ago," Simonds said. "Ball State was certainly a quality opponent but we expected better results this weekend."
Tuesday's contest with the Xavier University Musketeers is set for 6:30 p.m.
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