DELAND, Fla. (Interstat) — A four-run seventh-inning rally propelled the Ball State Cardinals to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Saint John’s Red Storm in both teams’ season opener on Friday at Edmunds Center.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the Red Storm build an early lead only to see it evaporate against the Cardinals’ bullpen and a decisive defensive error.

Saint John’s struck first in the third inning. After a walk to Dylan, cleanup hitter LeGrande launched a two-run homer to deep right field, his first of the season, giving the Red Storm a 2-0 advantage. They added another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Bernardini that scored Frey, who had singled and advanced to third.

Ball State starter Keegan Johnson settled in after the early trouble, but the Cardinals’ offense was stifled by Saint John’s starter Jack Nestler and reliever Tommy Conley through six innings, managing just one run on a two-out RBI single by Thomas in the third.

The complexion of the game changed dramatically in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 3-1, Ball State’s Brett Griffiths led off with a double to left center. After a pitching change and a fielder’s choice, John Colligan drove in Griffiths with an RBI fielder’s choice to cut the deficit to 3-2. Following a single by Balius that put runners on the corners, Saint John’s brought in reliever Jack Nestler.

The pivotal sequence unfolded next. Balius stole second base, and on the play, a throwing error by Saint John’s third baseman Agresti allowed Colligan to race home from third, tying the game at 3-3. After a walk to pinch-hitter Landsnes, Maalik Muizelaar delivered the go-ahead single to shallow left field, scoring Balius for a 4-3 Cardinals lead.

The Red Storm threatened in the eighth, putting runners on first and second with two outs, but Ball State reliever Charlie Keller induced a strikeout to end the inning. Ball State’s Maalik Perkins, who entered as a defensive replacement, and the rest of the Cardinals’ defense held firm in the ninth to secure the win.

Saint John’s outhit Ball State 7-5 but left key runners on base and committed two costly errors. Ball State’s bullpen combination of Chambers and Keller provided four innings of scoreless, one-hit relief after Johnson’s departure.

With the victory, Ball State begins its season 1-0, while Saint John’s starts 0-1. The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Saturday in DeLand as part of a multi-team event.

The most important part of the game was Ball State’s four-run seventh inning, a rally built on timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and capitalizing on a critical Saint John’s error. The frame transformed a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead, with the tying run scoring on an errant throw during a steal attempt and the winning run driven in by Muizelaar’s clutch, two-out single. This sequence encapsulated the comeback and ultimately decided the contest.