University of Louisville
TOLEDO
Cardinal Offense Shines in 9-2 Win Over Toledo
February 25, 2005 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2005
LOUISVILLE, KY - The University of Louisville pounded out a season-high 15 hits and starter B.J. Rosenberg tossed a strong seven innings as the Cards bounced Toledo 9-2 in the series opener Friday.
Rocket center fielder Drew Hoisington opened the game with a ground-rule double to left center and eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Jason Watson to give Toledo(0-1) a 1-0 lead.
The Cards (4-1) answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first.
Boomer Whiting lead off with a double of his own and Nick Haley hit an infield single, outing runners at the corners.
On a 2-2 pitch to J.T. LaFountain, U of L Head Coach Lelo Prado sent Haley from first and when the throw came to the second base bag, Whiting broke from third and stole home to tie the game at one.
Freshman Jorge Castillo later doubled home Haley to put the Cards up 2-1 after one.
Louisville freshman Derrick Alfonso opened the second with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt by Chris Cates.
Haley then walked, and LaFountain blasted a 2-2 pitch up into the seats in right field, a three-run shot that extended the Cardinal lead to 5-1.
The Rockets plated a run in the third to make it 5-2 U of L, but the Cards answered with a single run in the bottom of the third when Castillo, who had doubled, scored on an RBI groundout by Cates making it 6-2.
Cates, Whiting and Haley all singled in consecutive order to open the sixth and extend the lead to 7-2.
Another RBI groundout by Cates and another RBI single by Haley in the seventh capped the scoring for Cards.
Rosenberg (1-0) gave up just three hits in seven frames, leading to a pair of runs. He walked one and fanned two in the win.
Scott Jenkins allowed two hits and struck out one in an inning of relief and freshman Chris Lopez struck out the first two he faced, surrendering a hit in the ninth in his collegiate debut.
J.R. Duffey (0-1) took the loss for the Rockets, as he gave up seven runs on 11 hits and two walks in five plus innings. He struck out four. Three Toledo relievers each tossed an inning of relief.
Haley had three hits, to go with a walk, a steal, two run and two RBI on the afternoon. Alfonso also had three hits for the Cards.
Whiting and Castillo had two hits each, as the Cards hit double figures in the hit column for the fourth time in five games this season.
The Louisville defense provided three spectacular plays, with a diving grab by Whiting to end the fourth, Cates fielded a ball behind second base and threw out the runner in the sixth and LaFountain fully extended in foul territory to make a diving stab to end the seventh.
Toledo managed just six hits, with Dan Stong and Hoisington accounting for five of them.
The teams will meet for game two of the series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and will close out the three game set Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Cardinal Stadium.
Admission to all U of L home baseball games is free. The radio broadcast will be tape-delayed Saturday and can be heard in its entirety at 2:45 p.m. on WAVG 1450.
