MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State Cardinals scored in each inning Sunday afternoon and took advantage of three errors by the Northern Illinois University baseball team in a 15-5 win in seven innings at the Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.
 
Ball State (26-13, 13-5 MAC) got on the board first with three runs in the bottom of the opening inning. Adam Tellier reached base on a one-out error, then stole second base as NIU starting pitcher Jacob Draeger (Johnston, Iowa/Des Moines Area CC) struck out Ryan Peltier. Decker Scheffler drove in Tellier with a single up the middle to make the score 1-0. Andrew Wilhite then hit a home run down the right field line to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. Ball State extended its lead to 5-0 with two runs in the second, scoring on a Nick Gregory RBI single and a wild pitch.
 
NIU (7-30, 4-13 MAC) put its first run on the board in the top of the third. Eric Erato (Sussex, Wis./Sussex Hamilton) reached via a walk with two outs as did Andre Demetral (Rochester, Mich./Florence Darling Tech). Aaron Harper (Hemet, Calif./Mt. San Jacinto CC) then laced a double to left field, the Huskies' first hit of the game, to bring home Erato and make the score 5-1.
 
The Cardinals put their lead back to five in the bottom of the third on a Blake Bevis RBI double that put the score at 6-1. NIU got that run back in the top of the fourth. Malik Peters (Calumet City, Ill./Mount Carmel) led off with a walk and eventually got to third on a groundout and flyout. Christian Seegers (Schaumburg, Ill./Creighton) drove in Peters with a single to center, making the score 6-2. Ball State took a 9-2 lead in the bottom of the inning on a three-run home run off the bat of Ryan Peltier.
 
Ball State led 12-2 before the Huskies attempted a late charge. Parker Shupe (Johnston, Iowa/Kirkwood CC) led off the top of the seventh with a single, advancing to second on a wild pitch. Demetral walked with ball four being a passed ball that got Shupe to third. Harper then hit his second run-scoring double of the game to bring home Shupe and make the score 12-3. Colin Summerhill (Chicago, Ill./Troy) followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Demetral and put the score at 12-4. Peters knocked a single to centerfield for the third straight run of the inning, bringing home Harper for a 12-5 score. Bevis got out of the inning with a strikeout and flyout.
 
Peltier put the game away for Ball State with his second three-run home run of the game in the bottom of the seventh, putting Ball State up 15-5 to give the Cardinals the run-rule victory.
 
"We battled but made too many mistakes and Ball State took advantage of it," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "We have a quick turnaround this week and need to be ready to go on Tuesday against UIC."
 
Harper and Peters each had two hits in the game and combined to drive in three runs.  The Huskies had six hits and drew seven walks.
 
NIU plays seven of its next nine games at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt and Janice Owens Park, starting Tuesday, April 25 with a 3 p.m. game against UIC.
 
--NIU--