University of Louisville
at East Carolina *
Walk-off Homer Spoils Cardinal Sunday
April 25, 2004 | Baseball
April 25, 2004
GREENVILLE, N.C. - A two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth by Trevor Lawhorn boosted ninth-ranked East Carolina to a 5-4 win over the University of Louisville on Sunday to complete a series sweep, and extend the Pirates(35-6, 15-3) longest winning streak in school history to 16 games.
Louisville struck first with three in the second to take their first lead of the series.
Daniel Burton and Isaiah Howes singled and Logan Johnson was hit by a pitch to load the bases when Danny Plasencia singled home a pair.
Mark Jurich followed with a single to reload the bases and Chris Cates punched home a run with a single of his own for a 3-0 lead.
The Pirates got two back on a two-run triple by Darryl Lawhorn in the sixth to cut the lead to one, and knotted the game at three in the seventh on an RBI double by Ryan Jones.
With the game tied at three in the ninth, Johnson doubled to right-center to open the frame. A sac bunt by Plasencia put him at third.
Jurich was walked intentionally, and with the count at 1-2, Cates bunted foul on an attempted squeeze for the second out of the inning.
Ron Braun then stepped to the plate and drilled the first pitch to left, scoring Johnson, and putting the Cards(20-20, 8-10) in front again by a score of 4-3.
With Brian Halford in to relieve B.J. Rosenberg, Jamie Paige singled to open the ninth. After a pop-up by Jones, Lawhorn stepped to the plate and worked the count to 2-0 before lifting his league-leading 19th home run of the season out to left for the win.
Rosenberg tossed 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out a career-high eight, and faced just four over the minimum through five.
Halford(5-3) was touched for the two runs on four hits in an inning and a third, fanning one in the loss.
ECU reliever Kevin Rhodes(3-1) earned the win with 1.2 innings of relief in which he allowed a run on two hits and a walk, while striking out two.
U of L has lost a season-high four straight.
For the third consecutive game, Cates has two hits, joined by Plasencia on the afternoon.
Louisville will travel to Richmond, Kentucky to face Eastern on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. ET before a three-game weekend series against TCU at Cardinal Stadium over derby weekend that begins Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Admission and parking at Cardinal Stadium is free.
