Muncie, Ind. – The University of Dayton baseball team dropped its game to Ball State on Saturday by a score of 11-6. Dayton's record now sits at 6-10-1 on the year, while Ball State improves to 10-9. The Flyers won the series opener by a 5-4 margin and the two teams will play the series finale tomorrow at 1 p.m. (ET) at DP&L Stadium.
 
KEY MOMENTS

• Aaron Simpson's three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh made the score 9-2 and seemingly busted the game open with Dayton facing a seven-run deficit. The Cardinals added another insurance run with a walk and a triple before the end of the inning to push the lead to eight, but the Flyers did not go away quietly.
• The Flyers loaded the bases in the eighth on an Alex Brickman leadoff infield single and walks from Eddie Pursinger and Takahiro Yamada. Jay Curtis delivered his first career home run with a grand slam over the right field wall to cut the deficit in half at 10-6.
• A leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth culminated with an additional insurance run scored for Ball State and Dayton was unable to chip back away at the lead in the ninth.

 
SCORING SUMMARY
Top 1: Dayton 1, Ball State 0
Mitchell Garrity drew a leadoff walk and moved into scoring position on a Connor Echols fielder's choice. Alex Brickman took advantage and drove in Garrity with a double laced down the left field line for his 10th RBI of the year.
 
Bottom 2: Ball State 2, Dayton 1
John Ricotta was hit by a pitch and Mack Murphy singled, which led to runners at the corners with one out for the Cardinals. Murphy stole second to put both runners in scoring position and William Baker singed over the head of Blackwell at shortstop to drive in Ricotta and Murphy and put Ball State in the lead.
 
Top 4: Dayton 2, Ball State 2
Eddie Pursinger tied the game back up at 2-2 with a single stroke of the bat that lifted the ball out beyond the 395-mark dead center.
 
Bottom 4: Ball State 4, Dayton 2
The Cardinals had runners on second and third to open the bottom of the fourth after a Chase Sebby leadoff walk followed by a double down the right field line from Noah Powell. Sebby scored on a groundout to second, while Powell came around to score on a Noah Navarro double to left center.
 
Bottom 5: Ball State 6, Dayton 2
Andre Orselli led off the frame with a walk and John Ricotta homered to left center the next at-bat to put the Cardinals up four.
 
Bottom 7: Ball State 10, Dayton 2
Tyler Henry sat down the first two batters of the inning, but back-to-back two-out singles led to a three-run home run from Aaron Simpson. The inning continued with a walk drawn by Noah Navarro, who scored on a Ross Messina triple the next at-bat.
 
Top 8: Ball State 10, Dayton 6
Jay Curtis blasted a grand slam to right to cut the eight-run deficit in half. Dayton loaded the bases on an Alex Brickman infield single and walks from Eddie Pursinger and Takahiro Yamada.
 
Bottom 8: Ball State 11, Dayton 6
John Ricotta singled up the middle to start the inning and a walk advanced him to second, while a fielder's choice moved him to third. Ricotta would go on to score on a wild pitch.
 
 
KEY STATS

• Jay Curtis hit his first career home run with his grand slam in the top of the eighth.
• The four runs batted in from the at-bat for Curtis pushed his team-high total to 15 RBI this season.
• Alex Brickman, Eddie Pursinger and Benjamin Blackwell each had a team-high two hits apiece.
• Both of Blackwell's hits led off innings, but was unable to be brought around to score on either occasion.
• Brickman picked up his 10th RBI of the season in the first inning with a double down the left field line to score Mitchell Garrity from second.
• Pursinger was responsible for Dayton's second RBI of the day with a solo bomb to dead center in the fourth inning.
• Pursinger now has a team-high four home runs on the season.
• Aaron Ernst finished with a line of 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 3 K, 2 BB
• Cole Pletka was the first man out of the bullpen, marking his first appearance in relief for Dayton after having made three starts earlier this season.

UP NEXT

• Dayton and Ball State wrap up their series tomorrow in Dayton at DP&L Stadium at 1 p.m. (ET)