Softball: Cardinals Win Second MAC Crown
May 15, 2010
Ball State was hot at the right time of the year.
By Peter Schinkai
pschinkai@themacdaily.com
5, 
1
AKRON — Last season, Ball State did everything right but couldn't come away with the hardware.
One year later, the Cardinals dropped from the No. 1 seed to the No. 2 seed for the MAC Tournament. The difference in seeding didn't mean much, but the outcome this year was much better.
On Saturday, Ball State won the MAC Championship, beating Kent State 5-1 in the title game.
The Cardinals won their first title since 1998.
"This time, coming in we knew without a doubt we were going to win," Ball State junior Alicia Barkley said.
Ball State came into the championship game on a hot streak, winning 14 of its past 15 games. Adding to the Cardinals momentum was the knowledge that it could beat the top seeded Golden Flashes, having done that on Friday by a 6-0 score. So when Kent State made the championship game with a 1-0 win over Northern Illinois, Ball State was ready.
"The big thing for us all week was scoring early and we never sat on a lead," Ball State coach Craig Nicholson said.
Early scoring gave Ball State (43-14) the edge that propelled it to victory. The Cardinals scored two runs in the opening frame and never let up. After Kent State made the score 2-1 in the fifth, BSU went on the offensive again, scoring once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to put the game away.
Elizabeth Milian pitched a complete game on her way to the win. She gave up five hits, while striking out nine Golden Flashes. Milian didn't walk a single batter.
Kent State wraps up the season with a 33-22 record.
Ball State's only other MAC Tournament title came in 1998. The Cardinals will learn their NCAA Regional bracket on Sunday.
pschinkai@themacdaily.com
5, 1AKRON — Last season, Ball State did everything right but couldn't come away with the hardware.
One year later, the Cardinals dropped from the No. 1 seed to the No. 2 seed for the MAC Tournament. The difference in seeding didn't mean much, but the outcome this year was much better.
On Saturday, Ball State won the MAC Championship, beating Kent State 5-1 in the title game.
The Cardinals won their first title since 1998.
"This time, coming in we knew without a doubt we were going to win," Ball State junior Alicia Barkley said.
Ball State came into the championship game on a hot streak, winning 14 of its past 15 games. Adding to the Cardinals momentum was the knowledge that it could beat the top seeded Golden Flashes, having done that on Friday by a 6-0 score. So when Kent State made the championship game with a 1-0 win over Northern Illinois, Ball State was ready.
"The big thing for us all week was scoring early and we never sat on a lead," Ball State coach Craig Nicholson said.
Early scoring gave Ball State (43-14) the edge that propelled it to victory. The Cardinals scored two runs in the opening frame and never let up. After Kent State made the score 2-1 in the fifth, BSU went on the offensive again, scoring once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to put the game away.
Elizabeth Milian pitched a complete game on her way to the win. She gave up five hits, while striking out nine Golden Flashes. Milian didn't walk a single batter.
Kent State wraps up the season with a 33-22 record.
Ball State's only other MAC Tournament title came in 1998. The Cardinals will learn their NCAA Regional bracket on Sunday.