University of Louisville
at South Florida *
Cardinal Nine Hammers Bulls
May 21, 2004 | Baseball
May 21, 2004
TAMPA, FL - Mark Jurich's tape-measure home run in the fifth broke a 2-2 tie and the University of Louisville plated 10 runs in the next two innings, lifting the Cards to a 13-4 win over South Florida Friday night.
Louisville(25-28, 12-17) and South Florida(31-23, 12-16) will meet on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET with the winner advancing to the Conference USA tournament in Houston next week, and the loser will end their season. U of L went into the series needing a sweep and have taken the first two games.
The Cards took a 2-0 lead in the first.
Freshman Chris Cates singled with one out, and Nick Haley followed with his 31st walk of the season.
A single up the middle by Ron Braun scored Cates, and Ryan McKinnon followed with his 12th double of the season, scoring Haley.
In the USF half of the third, shortstop Myron Leslie homered with one out to cut the U of L lead in half.
Bryan Hierlmeier followed the home run with his fifth triple of the season and scored on a single by Devin Ivany to knot the game at two.
In the top of the fifth, Jurich worked the count to 3-0, before hammering the next pitch off of the top of the light tower in right field to break the tie.
Louisville struck for three more in the sixth. McKinnon singled to open the frame, and an out later Logan Johnson was hit by a pitch and Boomer Whiting walked to load the bases.
Tampa native Danny Plasencia singled home a run, and Jurich walked to plate another. Cates followed with a sac fly that scored Whiting and extended the U of L lead to 6-2.
The Cardinal Nine then exploded for a seven-run seventh.
Braun singled to open the frame, and McKinnon cranked a 1-1 pitch out to left-center for his career-high ninth home run of the season and an 8-2 lead.
Daniel Burton then doubled, Johnson walked and Whiting reached on a bunt single to again load the bases.
Jurich walked for the second time in the ballgame with the bases loaded, scoring Burton, and Cates walked in a run.
Haley singled home Whiting and Braun lashed a double down the right field line, scoring Jurich and Cates, capping the inning with the Cards leading 13-2.
A two-run home run by USF's Nick Cardieri in the ninth closed the scoring.
Mike Tisdale (3-5) started the 40th game of his career, placing him in a tie with Dave McCormack for second all-time at U of L.
Tisdale won his 16th career game at U of L, tying him for ninth all-time, tossing six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and a walk, fanning three. He is now fourth on the U of L career list with 239.0 career innings.
Chase Cruse twirled the final three innings, earning his second save of the season, surrendering two runs on three hits and a pair of walks.
Kyle Schmidt (8-5) took the loss, permitting five runs on seven hits and three walks, fanning three in 5.1 innings.
Braun and McKinnon both had three hits and drove in three. Jurich also drove in three, hitting his 47th career home run, good for fourth on the all-time list.
Jurich, Cates, McKinnon, Johnson, and Whiting each scored a pair of runs.
