AVON, Ohio - It was a classic playoff baseball showdown. The two best teams in the Mid-American Conference, with two all-league pitchers starting in a game that began at 9:10 p.m. A trip to the league championship game on the line. Ball State led most of the night before Central Michigan scored seven times in the 7th inning to win 8-2.
No. 2 seed Ball State (37-18) will play Northern Illinois Saturday for a shot at a rematch with CMU Saturday night. The Cardinals need to win twice Saturday to set up a winner-take-all game Sunday against Central.