Late Scoring the Difference in Baseball’s Loss to Ball State

Sunday, February 20

Charleston, SC

10 AM

Army West Point

1-2

Ball State

2-2

ARMY

Ball State

Late Scoring the Difference in Baseball’s Loss to Ball State

February 20, 2022 | Baseball

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. – A five-spot in the seventh was the deciding factor in the Army baseball team's 10-6 loss to Ball State on Sunday afternoon at Shipyard Park.

Though the Black Knights (1-2) cranked out double-digit hits, finishing the day with 11, the team was unable to keep its offense going down the stretch of the Swig & Swine College Classic's final game. Errors also had an impact on the result, as the entirety of the team's four-run deficit was unearned.

The early innings saw a lot of back-and-forth action between the two sides, as there were two separate lead changes before the Cardinals (2-2) staged their final comeback. Ball State was the first to get on the board, putting up two runs against starting pitcher Matthew Ronnebaum in the bottom of the first.

Two innings later, Army tied the score up when Ross Friedrick's two-RBI single brought in both Carter Macias and Blake Ledoux, who had worked their way into scoring position after Hunter Meade's sacrifice bunt. Friedrick's knock, which started his 4-for-4 day, knotted the teams up at two runs apiece.

Despite his shaky first inning, Ronnebaum settled in, facing two over the minimum over the course of his next three frames. He later handed the ball over to Sean Dennehy in the bottom of the fifth after an RBI double put the Cardinals ahead at 3-2. Dennehy, who entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out, allowed two of the inherited runners to score before closing the door on the fifth, which put Ball State on top at 5-2.

Army got a pair of those runs back in the following frame after creating a high-pressure, bases-loaded situation that forced the home team to make an error. Both Friedrick, who doubled, and Derek Berg, who drew a walk, scored to help the Cadets cut the deficit down to one run at 5-4.

While Dennehy kept the Cardinals under control, Army's offense got to work and used a pitching change to regain the lead in the top of the seventh. Sam Ruta was the first to test the new arm and, after recording a leadoff triple, came around to score the tying run on an RBI single off the bat of Friedrick. Though Ball State made another call to the bullpen, it did not make a difference as Braden Golinski stepped up and drove in Friedrick with an RBI knock of his own that made it a 6-5 ballgame in favor of Army.

Unfortunately for the Cadets, the lead did not last for long as Ball State's game-winning, five-run outburst came in the bottom of the inning. Both Dennehy and Dom Trippi made appearances during the frame, though Dennehy was the only arm charged with runs as an Army error extended the offense's stay. By the end of the frame, which was finished by Tyler Prichard, the Cardinals had earned their final 10-6 margin of victory.

Three Black Knights did reach base in the last two innings, including pinch-hitter Bennett Smith, but none of the runners were able to score. Dennehy was tagged with the loss, moving him to 0-1 on the season.

Coach's Corner
"After a tough loss yesterday and a quick turnaround, we really didn't come out with what we needed early. I thought [Ball State's] pitcher did a nice job at throwing the ball in the first three innings. It took us a little while to get going. When we did, we did a nice job fighting back and then our pitching came apart. We didn't take care of the bottom of the order … It was a battle of the bullpens and they won." – Head Coach Jim Foster

Cadets' Corner
"I thought the guys came out and battled today. Ronnebaum did a nice job of settling down on the mound and [the offense] competed in the first five innings … I'm excited to get back to practicing this week and then hitting the road again with these guys. We're looking forward to going to Nashville for some good games." – Ross Friedrick

What's Next
Army will have the next few days off before hitting the road once again, this time heading to No. 2 Vanderbilt for a three-game series in Nashville, Tenn. First pitch at Hawkins Field is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25 with games to follow at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point Baseball, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_Baseball and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.