Ball State baseball ties with Indiana Hoosiers in extra-inning thriller
Rain forced the Ball State Cardinals (25-15-1) and Indiana Hoosiers (22-18-1) to postpone their game from April 23, which was originally set to take place at Victory Field.
The game, which was rescheduled for First Merchants Ballpark in Muncie, did not let down. Ball State tied the Hoosiers 7-7 in the game that went into extra innings due to the Cardinals’ late-inning collapse. Due to darkness, the game was canceled, giving the Cardinals their first-ever season tie.
The tie breaks the Cardinals’ 11-game losing streak to the Hoosiers, which previously dated all the way back to 2013.
Head coach Rich Maloney notes that this is something he has almost never seen throughout his coaching career.
“It’s only the second time in my coaching career,” Maloney said. “That’s 33 years, so it’s very unusual to have a tie.”
The Cardinals had everything under control at the beginning of the game. Jacob Hartlaub, a junior, started on the mound and took the bulk of the pitches. Pitching for four innings, Hartlaub gave up just one run and two hits in his time on the mound.
Ball State’s bats rapidly started to put distance between the two teams while Hartlaub managed the Hoosier offense. Senior Michael Hallquist doubled to start the inning, and junior Hunter Dobbins drove him home with a single to center field to cap it off.
