University of Louisville
Vanderbilt
Late Rally Falls Short, Baseball Loses 6-5 Sunday
February 24, 2002 | Baseball
Feb. 24, 2002
A late rally fell short as the Cardinal baseball team lost 6-5 to Vanderbilt on Sunday in Louisville. The Cards win the series 2-1 with victories over the Commodores(5-2) on Friday and Saturday.
Center fielder Karl Nonemaker doubled to lead off the game and scored on a bases-loaded walk to put Vandy up 1-0. A popup and double play got the Cards out of the bases-loaded jam after having given up just the one run in the first.
Vanderbilt loaded the bases again in the third, and after a walk established a 2-0 lead, right fielder Worth Scott jacked a 3-2 pitch high into the bleachers in right off of junior Willie McKenzie for a grand slam and a 6-0 Commodore lead.
Ballard graduate Jeremy Sowers(1-0) got the win in his collegiate debut, and pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the third and fifth, allowing just one run on four hits, a walk and two hit batsmen in seven innings. He struck out 10 on the day.
The first run for the Cardinals was plated on a sacrifice fly to right by junior Josh Bolen in the fifth.
In the eighth, VU reliever Scott Shapiro walked Dave Williams Jr. to open the frame followed by a double by Bolen before sacrifice flies by Mike Budak and Mark Jurich cut the deficit to 6-3 Vandy.
Vanderbilt closer Dean Bennett entered for the ninth and retired the first two batters before a walk to pinch hitter J.T. LaFountain, a single by Adam Haley and a walk to Williams loaded the bases.
Bolen stepped to the plate and hit a sharp ground ball to third that was fielded cleanly by Cesar Nicholas, but his throw was wild, allowing two runs to score and moving Williams to third as the tying run.
But Bennett induced a ground ball to second off the bat of Mike Budak to end the threat and the game.
Bennett picked up his third save of the season, despite surrendering the two unearned runs in the ninth on a hit and two walks.
Cardinal starter Clif Novak (0-1) struggled out of the gate, taking the loss, tossing just two innings. He was touched for three runs on two hits, four walks and a hit batter while getting one strikeout.
Novak was followed by McKenzie who had identical numbers to Novak with two fewer walks.
Lefty Zach Jackson made his college debut as well and threw two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and a walk, to go with one strikeout.
Another bright spot for the Cards was junior pitcher Mike Eilers who struck out three in three hitless innings. Cardinal relievers allowed just four baserunners from the fourth inning on, with just one advancing past first.
Jackson and Eilers combined to retire 11 straight in one stretch with an error allowing the only baserunner in the final four innings.
Offensively for U of L(2-1), catcher Ken Tirpack and Haley each had a pair of hits, while Bolen drove in two. Haley was hit twice by Sowers, and has now been hit 23 times in his career, tying him with Mike Hook for first all-time.
Louisville outhit Vandy 6-5, while the teams combined to walk 12 and hit four batters.
Next the Cards will host Western Kentucky on Wednesday at Cardinal Stadium at 3:00 p.m. Admission to all games at Cardinal Stadium is free, and live audio broadcasts of the game is available at UofLsports.com.
