MUNCIE, Ind. — Yesterday, the Ball State Cardinals took on the Valparaiso Beacons at Shobek Stadium in Muncie. The last time both teams played each other in Muncie was in 2019.
Both teams have been unable to play in Muncie due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many in-state rivals stopped playing against each other due to safety concerns, preventing the Beacons from facing the Cardinals back at Shobek.
Transfer Alex Richter was excited to play their in-state rival Valparaiso in Muncie. Richter transferred from Marietta College, where he attended for three years, before deciding to join Ball State Baseball.
Richter went one for five in the batter's box, including a two-run single and multiple stops on third base. While Richter had that success against Valparaiso, he also struck out on the plate and let several balls go past third base.
Richter knew a player on the Valparaiso team who attended Carmel High School with Richter.
“It is exciting to play in front of the home crowd. As well it was good to see old faces with players that I have not played with for a long time,” said Richter.
“I missed a couple of opportunities when I was in the batter box. Finally, it was good to see a player I knew from high school that was playing on Valparaiso.”
Despite last year's loss against Valparaiso, the Cardinals managed to take revenge, beating the Beacons 14 to 10.
Contact Ethan Kelso with comments at ethan.kelso@bsu.edu.
