University of Louisville
Akron
Cardinal Nine Sweeps Pair From Zips
May 14, 2002 | Baseball
May 14, 2002
LOUISVILLE, KY - The University of Louisville baseball team extended its winning streak to eight games by sweeping a doubleheader from Akron on Tuesday at Cardinal Stadium 3-1 in the first game and 6-2 in the nightcap. The eight game streak is a season high and the wins end the Cards' home season with a record of 27-6 in games at Cardinal Stadium.
The Cardinal Nine is a win shy of tying the single season record of 38 wins set in 1980.
Louisville(37-13, 19-8) notched a run without the benefit of a hit in the second to open the scoring in game one. Morgan Bojorquez lead off the inning hitting a hard liner to center that went off the glove of Akron's Ryan Brickwood, putting Bojorquez at second.
Cardinal third baseman Mike Budak then lifted a fly ball to deep right center field that Brickwood caught before slamming into the wall. As Brickwood gathered himself, Bojorquez tagged and scored from second on a sacrifice fly.
Dave Williams Jr. legged out a one out double in the second, extending his hitting streak to 16 games and scored on a double by J.T. LaFountain for a 2-0 Cardinal advantage.
Darek Stanfield's RBI single in the fourth put the Zips on the board, slicing the Cards lead to 2-1.
Louisville added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Williams Jr that scored catcher Fernando Isa.
Josh Ring (8-3) started and picked up the win allowing two hits and two walks in three scoreless innings. Ring had two strikeouts. Garrett Estabrook gave up a run on three hits and a walk, fanning two in two innings of relief, and Carlos Fernandez closed things out with two scoreless innings for his fourth save on the season. He struck out one, while allowing a hit and a walk.
Akron starter Pat Watt(2-2) took the loss, giving up three runs, two of which were earned on four hits and a walk in 4.1 frames. Aaron Gangi gave up a hit in the final 1.2 innings.
In game two, the Cards jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first. Williams Jr. was hit by a pitch, LaFountain walked and Mark Jurich doubled home a run. Bojorquez was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Josh Bolen was plunked to plate the second run of the inning.
Budak grounded into a double play, pushing across the third run.
Shortstop Adam Haley, back after missing 14 games singled the first pitch he saw through the left side and eventually scored on LaFountain's RBI single in the second. Jurich then singled home another run for a 5-0 Cards lead.
An RBI groundout by DH Curt Stewart in the third scored Bolen for a 6-0 advantage.
Dan Swallie hit a one-out solo home run in the fourth, cutting the lead to 6-1, and second baseman Brady Steineck later doubled in a run for the final score 6-2.
Mike Eilers (3-0) picked up the win, allowing a hit and a walk in three scoreless, fanning three.
Clif Novak, Mike Tisdale, Willie McKenzie and Grant Williams each tossed an inning of relief for the Cards in game two.
Frank Mendoza(4-7) was the losing pitcher giving up five runs on four hits and a walk in two innings, he hit four batters.
LaFountain drove in runs on both games and has a 10 game hitting streak.
The regular season wraps up with a Thursday, Friday, Saturday series at East Carolina before the C-USA tournament in Kinston, N.C., May 21-26. Louisville is joined by TCU a half game out of first place in C-USA.
