The Ball State Cardinals entered the Mid‑American Conference Tournament opener with hopes of building momentum, but the night belonged to the Toledo Rockets.
Despite loading the bases in the fourth inning, the Cardinals were unable to convert the opportunity, leaving the game tied at 1‑0.
A late surge by Toledo
Toledo answered with three runs in the fourth and added another three in the fifth, turning a 1‑0 deficit into a 7‑1 lead.
Reliever Zach Kwasny steadied the game with three innings of one‑run baseball and three strikeouts, but the damage had already been done.
Starter Brendan Garza struck out five batters in 4.1 innings, yet surrendered six runs before being pulled.
Offensively, Brett Griffiths reached base four times for Ball State, mixing three walks with a single, while Troy Sudbrook paced Toledo with three hits, including a home run and two RBI.
Ryan Muizelaar and Kenskey Thomas each contributed two hits for the Cardinals, but the team could not string together the extra‑base hits needed to close the gap.
Nathan Leininger threw the distance for Toledo, logging eight strikeouts and earning the win.
What’s next for the Cardinals
Ball State will now face the loser of the matchup between Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, a game that could determine their path through the tournament.
Coach Max Kalk and the rest of the staff will look to adjust their approach, hoping to capitalize on early scoring chances in the next contest.