University of Louisville
Charlotte
Cardinal Nine Belts 49ers 14-9
April 13, 2001 | Baseball
April 13, 2001
Louisville pounded out a season-high 21 hits and 14 runs in a 14-9 win in game one of a Conference USA series Friday at Charlotte in baseball action. Seven of the nine starters had multi-hit games lead by third baseman Mike Budak and leftfielder Dave Williams Jr.'s 4 for 6 efforts.
An RBI double by 49er shortstop Brad Lamm, and a two-run home run by first baseman Brad Erwin gave Charlotte(14-19, 5-8) a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The Cardinals answered in kind with a six spot in the top of the second, the big blow coming off the bat of Budak with a three-run home run to give U of L a 6-3 advantage. The Cards batted around in the frame, and the rally began with a one out triple off the bat of Williams. Catcher Fernando Isa followed with an RBI single, second baseman Matt Jarboe walked, and shortstop Adam Haley reached on an error by his opposite number to load the bases. Centerfielder Mike Hook drove in Isa on a sacrifice fly to left and DH J.T. LaFountain singled in Jarboe. Budak then followed by taking a 3-1 pitch deep to left-center for his fifth long ball of the season.
Jarboe singled in Isa in the third to up the lead to 7-3, before the Niners put up three in the bottom of the stanza paring the Cardinal edge to a single run. Charlotte used five singles and a walk in the inning to produce the runs, making it 7-6.
The Cardinal offense refused to rest with two more in the fourth on an RBI single by first baseman Morgan Bojorquez and an RBI groundout by Williams, upping the lead to 9-6.
Charlotte answered with two in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly and an error to again cut it to a one run lead at 9-8, and evened things when a double play with the bases loaded tied the score at nine in the sixth.
The Cardinals pushed across what proved to be the game winner in the seventh to grab back the lead 10-9 on a fielder's choice off the bat of Bojorquez. Hook slid under the tag at the plate on a contact play to score.
Louisville broke things open in the ninth with one out, plating four runs on six hits and a walk for the final margin. Rightfielder Bill Gatti Jr., Williams, Isa and Hook each had RBI singles in the inning.
Senior hurler Denny Williams (4-6)entered in the fourth, and tossed 3.1 innings, giving up one run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts to pick up the win. Junior Josh Ring struck out two, allowing no hits in the eighth and ninth for his sixth save of the season, tying him for the second best single season total, and placing him in a tie for fifth on the career list at U of L.
Charlotte sent five pitchers to the hill, with Tony Rowlfes(0-1) taking the loss, giving up a single run in an inning of work on three hits and a walk.
Budak scored three runs, and drove in his team-leading 36th, 37th and 38th runs on the year. The 14 runs equals the total in the Cardinals shutout win over Detroit on February 17th, and the Cards also tied a season high, stranding 15 runners on base in the contest. Eighteen of the 21 hits were singles, with Budak's homer, Williams' triple and a two-bagger by Jarboe the exceptions. The game snaps a four-game losing streak for Louisville(21-19, 6-7).
The teams will meet Saturday at 2:00p.m. in game two of the series
