Editor's Note: Daily News Sports reached out to head coach Helen Peña for postgame comments and did not receive a response.

Facing the top team in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Ball State Cardinals (20-23, 7-10 MAC) had their hands full with the Miami RedHawks (34-6, 16-0 MAC). 

Despite starting their opener strong with a solo home run from junior McKayla Timmons, the Cardinals’ offense quickly slowed to a crawl. 

Miami’s starting pitcher, who stayed on the mound for the entirety of game one, contained the Cardinals through the following four innings. 

On the other side, Ball State finished its opening bout with only one clean inning, giving up at least one run in five consecutive frames and falling 8-3. 

Game two was a much closer affair between the red birds, with both squads unable to kickstart their offenses early. 

The Cardinals’ starting pitcher, senior Francys King, held the RedHawks to four runs, but Ball State’s offense continued to remain mostly stagnant in the second contest.

Despite registering the same number of hits (five) as Miami, neither of Ball State’s two runs came as a result of the Cardinals’ bats. 

Sophomore McKenna Mulholland was able to earn an early run as her fellow runner, freshman Maia Pietrzak, was caught stealing at second base. 

The Cardinals’ second run was the result of a late-game scare that Ball State manufactured in the top of the 7th inning. With the bases loaded, senior Kaitlyn Mathews was walked to home plate. Luckily for the RedHawks, they were able to shut down the Cardinals, forcing a game-sealing infield fly ball to avoid their first conference loss of the season with a 4-2 win.

Ball State heads back home to First Merchants Ballpark for a three-game series against the Akron Zips, which begins on April 20 with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. 
Contact Nick Shelton with comments via email at nicholas.shelton@bsu.edu or on X @NickS9954.

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