BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Senior pitcher Nicole Steinbach threw a complete game with four strikeouts to lead Ball State (5-6) to a 6-3 victory over Southeast Missouri (1-6) Friday at the Holiday Inn Spring Fling.
 
Steinbach no-hit Southeast for 4.2 innings before Brittany Stevens singled to center in the bottom of the fifth. Stevens' base hit scored Danielle Turner who reached on a two-out error, pulling the Redhawks to within a run (2-1) at the time.

Down, 5-1, the Redhawks plated two more unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Claire Wernig reached on an infield single and went to second on a base hit by Harli Wheeler. On the next play, Darby Pruett was safe at first and Wernig scored thanks to an error by second baseman Aeshia Miles. With two outs after Savannah Carpenter lined into a double play, Haylee Krack belted a single to left field to bring home Wheeler, slicing BSU's lead to 5-3.

The Cardinals had runners at second and third with no outs when Emily Dabkowski extended their lead to 6-3 on a single to center.

Steinbach recorded a pair of fly ball outs and one groundball out to silence the Redhawks in the seventh.
 
After Wernig reached on an error in the bottom of the first, Steinbach retired 13-straight hitters and, at one point, notched four strikeouts in a row.
 
Freshman Haley Thogmartin also started strong in the circle, retiring seven of the first eight hitters she faced.
 
Thogmartin, however, ran into trouble in the top of the third inning.
 
With one away, Miles reached on an infield single. Amanda Arnett immediately followed with a home run to left center at the top of the order, grabbing a 2-0 lead for the Cardinals.

Steinbach improved to 4-2 this season. She scattered four hits (all singles) and gave up a walk as her defense committed three errors behind her.

Thogmartin (1-3) suffered the loss. She worked five innings, allowing eight hits and five runs. Thogmartin also struck out one and walked two.

Madeline Krumrey pitched the final two innings, giving up a run on three hits.

Offensively, BSU outhit Southeast, 11-4.

Dabkowski went 3-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI, and Arnett went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.

Wernig, Wheeler, Krack and Stevens combined for Southeast's hits.

The Redhawks look to end a four-game losing streak when they return to action against Valparaiso Saturday.