University of Louisville
at Tennessee
Cards Answer 19th Ranked Volunteers 6-1
March 05, 2003 | Baseball
March 5, 2003
KNOXVILLE, TN - Ryan McKinnon drove in three runs on singles in the eighth and ninth to lead the University of Louisville Cardinal baseball team to a 6-1 win over #19 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium Wednesday.
Scott Barber was spectacular, shutting down the Vols (10-2), surrendering an unearned run on six hits scattered over seven innings. Barber struck out three and is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22 innings on the season in three starts.
Senior Carlos Fernandez picked up where Barber left off, retiring the Vols in the eight and the ninth, allowing two hits to pick up his third save of the season. He is now tied for 5th all-time on the Cardinal list with seven in his career.
Louisville (8-2) took a 1-0 lead in the second when Dave Williams Jr.'s ground ball to second base was mishandled by Walter Savilla allowing catcher Luis Pardo to score.
An Alex Suarez sacrifice fly in the sixth plated Brian Cleveland who had reached on an error to tie the game at one.
In the eighth, DH Curt Stewart lead off with a double, his second of the game and was replaced by pinch runner Danny Plasencia. Pardo reached on a one-out walk and McKinnon singled home Plasencia for a 2-1 Cardinal advantage.
The Cards put some insurance runs home in the ninth. Josh Bolen singled with one out, Morgan Bojorquez walked and Ron Braun scored Bolen with a single.
Pardo followed with a single of his own to drive in Bojorquez. Pardo scored two runs in the game, walking three times and getting hit by a pitch to go with the single for a perfect afternoon.
The runners had moved up to second an third on a throw to the plate, and McKinnon struck again, ripping a single up the middle for a 6-1 U of L lead.
Tennessee sent seven pitchers to the mound, with Joey Andrews (0-1) taking the loss, giving up a run on two hits and a walk in 1.2 innings. He struck out three.
Bolen and Stewart each had a pair of hits. Bolen hit a ball off of the scoreboard in right in the seventh but the three-man umpiring crew all ruled that the ball stayed in the yard for a double.
McKinnon was 3 for 5 in the game as the Cards split the two-game set with the nationally ranked Volunteers.
Louisville hosts Illinois for a three-game series beginning Friday at Cardinal Stadium. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m., admission and parking are free and all home games are broadcast on WAVE 1450 in Louisville and on line at UofLsports.com.
