University of Louisville
Houston
Cardinal Nine Tops Cougars Again
April 29, 2001 | Baseball
April 29, 2001
Chase Cruse and Josh Ring combined for 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, and a bases-loaded ground rule double in the third off the bat of DH Mark Jurich, vaulted Louisville to a 4-2 win over conference leading Houston Sunday at Cardinal Stadium.
Cruse(2-1) picked up the win and Ring notched his ninth save of the season, his third this week.
Louisville(27-23, 10-11) wins the weekend series 2-1, with the wins on Saturday and Sunday equalling the total they had accumulated in the previous 14 meetings with the Cougars.
It is just the third time in the past two seasons that a team has won two of three in a Conference USA series against Houston(25-23, 16-5).
Louisville scored an unearned run in the second when second baseman Matt Jarboe's single to right was mishandled, and catcher Fernando Isa, who had walked, scored to make it 1-0 Cards.
U of L starter Denny Williams walked the bases loaded in the top of the third, and a single by left fielder Gabe Lucas plated two, giving the Cougars a 2-1 advantage.
Louisville answered in the bottom of the frame. A single by third baseman J.T. La Fountain, a walk to first baseman Mike Budak, and a fielding error on a ball hit by right fielder Morgan Bojorquez loaded the bases. Jurich then roped a ball to right field for a ground rule double, putting the Cards up 3-2. Left fielder Dave Williams Jr. grounded out to short, scoring Bojorquez, and upping the U of L lead to 4-2.
Cruse gave up three hits and a walk to go with two strikeouts in his 3.1 innings of relief in the win. Ring struck out one in his inning of work. Ring's nine saves is the second best single season total in Cardinal history, and places him in a tie for second on the career list.
The nine saves also ties him for fifth on the Conference USA single season list.
Houston starter Gene Flores(3-4) took the loss, tossing 6.2 frames and giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out three.
Jarboe was the only Cardinal with a multi-hit effort, as both teams were limited to five hits apiece.
The Cards will travel to face Eastern Kentucky on the road Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.
