University of Louisville
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Ninth-Inning Rally A Winner for the Cards
March 15, 2005 | Baseball
March 15, 2005
LOUISVILLE, KY - Freshman Derrick Alfonso's two-run single in the bottom of the ninth, capped a four-run rally as the University of Louisville snuck past the Northern Illinois Huskies 8-7 Tuesday at Cardinal Stadium.
The comeback marks U of L's fourth last at bat win of the season.
NIU's Jeremy Busch opened the game with a triple and scored on Greg Larsen's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
The Cards (9-5) responded in the bottom of the first with a pair of runs for a 2-1 lead. Boomer Whiting was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored when NIU (3-7) pitcher Adam Holenrid fielded Nick Haley's bunt single and threw wildly to first.
Haley ended up at second and later scored on an RBI groundout by Logan Johnson.
The Cards added two more in the fourth when Alfonso scored from third on a balk and Greg Taylor was plated by Whiting's sac fly, putting U of L up 4-1.
The Huskies pulled ahead 5-4 with a four-run fifth that was highlighted by Mike Santoro's two-run double.
Another sac fly by Larsen in the sixth plated an unearned run and Mark Besteman's RBI single in the ninth scored what appeared to be at the time an insurance run with NIU up 7-4.
The ninth opened with a bunt single by Whiting, and Haley reached on the fifth Huskie error on the day.
Isaiah Howes singled to center, loading the bases for Cardinals with nobody out. Johnson hit a ground ball to Larsen at short that plated Whiting, while Larsen's throw to second was errant, allowing Haley to score and put the Cards to within one.
Daniel Burton's sac bunt moved runners to second and third, setting up the freshman Alfonso's first career runs-batted-in on the two-run single.
Jon Harbridge (2-0) recorded the final two outs of the ninth to earn the win, striking out one, while giving up a pair of hits.
The losing pitcher was NIU closer Mark Badgley (1-2), as he was touched for four runs, only one of which was earned on three hits, while recording just one out.
Cardinal starter Jake Smith lasted 4.1 innings, allowing five runs-four earned, on seven hits and two walks while fanning two. Scott Jenkins gave up an unearned run on a hit and two walks in 3.1 innings out of the pen. He struck out three. Skylar Meade gave up a run on a hit in two-thirds of an inning.
Freshman Jorge Castillo entered as a pinch hitter and delivered two hits in two trips, joining Whiting and Haley with multi-hit games.
The Cards hit the road for the first time all season as they travel to Evansville to face the Aces on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
