University of Louisville
Charlotte
Cards Can't Complete Sweep
April 15, 2001 | Baseball
April 15, 2001
Charlotte third baseman Eric Shanks' five RBI lead the 49ers to a 7-4 win over Louisville in the final game of the three-game series Sunday in North Carolina. Louisville(22-20, 7-8) won the series 2-1.
Following a downpour that delayed the start of the game one and a half hours, it was a pitcher's game early. After the first two games featured 50 hits between the two squads, the two teams combined for just five hits through the first four frames.
The Cardinals were the first to get on the board by way of a solo home run deep down the leftfield line by catcher Fernando Isa, the first of his collegiate career, making it 1-0 Louisville in the top of the fifth.
Charlotte answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on a double by DH Nick Blackmon to even to ledger at 1-1. The Niners had second and third with one out following the RBI double when centerfielder Brian Bowman hit a hard one-hopper back to U of L pitcher Josh Ring. Ring caught the man off third in a rundown, and Isa fired to shortstop Adam Haley who was covering third to peg Blackmon in an uncoventional 1-5-6-2 inning-ending double play.
Charlotte(15-20, 6-9) took a 3-1 lead in the sixth on a bases-loaded double by Shanks that scored two, and added to the lead with four in the seventh to make it 7-1 Charlotte. Shanks cleared the bases with a triple to score three of the runs.
The Cardinals edged closer with three in the eighth to narrow the Niner lead to 7-4. Centerfielder Mike Hook reached on a one out single, DH J.T. LaFountain walked, and third baseman Mike Budak singled in Hook. First baseman Morgan Bojorquez then doubled in LaFountain, and Budak scored on a groundout by leftfielder Dave Williams Jr.
Cardinal starter Josh Ring (4-4), who picked up his sixth save of the season on Friday, took the loss, throwing 5.1 innings, and giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts. Sophomore Mike Tisdale entered in the sixth and was touched for four runs on five hits and a walk in relief.
Niner hurler John Maine(8-4) went the distance, giving up four runs on 11 hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
Hook, Budak, Bojorquez and Isa each had a pair of hits. All but Hook had multi-hit games in each of the three games of the series. Isa was 7 for 14 on the weekend with three RBI and five runs scored.
The Cardinals host Kentucky Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at Slugger Field, home of the AAA Louisville Riverbats.
