University of Louisville
<B>ILLINOIS STATE</B>
Cardinal Nine Doubled Up By Redbirds
February 29, 2004 | Baseball
Feb. 29, 2004
LOUISVILLE, KY - Illinois State scored runs in each of the first four innings and never looked back, defeating the University of Louisville Cardinals 12-6 in baseball action Sunday in the deciding game of the series.
The Redbirds(2-1) plated a run in the first in a double by Matthew Bolt. On the play Jeremy Pickrel was thrown out trying to score from first when Chris Cates ' relay throw from Mark Jurich pegged the runner at home.
Sophomore Nick Haley homered to lead off the bottom of the first and even the score at one apiece.
Cardinal starter Justin Valdes (1-1) struggled, and was chased after the second inning when he allowed three runs on four hits. He was touched for four runs on six hits and a walk, striking out three.
Chase Cruse entered for the Cards and allowed a pair of two run homers in two innings, putting ISU on top 8-1 after four. Cruse gave up the four runs on four hits, striking out three in two innings.
Freshman B.J. Rosenberg tossed a pair of scoreless innings before giving up three consecutive hits to lead off the seventh. Sophomore Griffin Bailey entered and recorded a pair of outs before giving up a two-run home run to Jay Molina, capping a four run inning that gave Illinois State a 12-1 advantage.
Rosenberg allowed three runs on six hits in two innings, fanning one. Bailey went two innings allowing a run on a hit and a walk. Jason Keck tossed a scoreless ninth in his Cardinal debut.
Third baseman Ryan McKinnon lead off the Cardinal(3-3) seventh with an infield single, and two outs later he scored on Boomer Whiting's triple to the gap in right. Whiting then scored on a wild pitch to make it 12-3.
A one-out double by Jurich in the eighth turned into the Cards' fourth run on an RBI single by Isaiah Howes.
Cates and DH Ron Braun singled home runs for U of L in the ninth to close the scoring.
Todd Stein(1-0) earned the win, twirling 6.0 innings of two-hit ball, allowing a run on four walks to go with five strikeouts.
Haley, Cates and McKinnon each had two hits for Louisville.
The Cards will host Evansville on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at Cardinal Stadium before opening a three game weekend series against Kent on Friday at 3:00 p.m. in Louisville. Admission to all games is free.
