University of Louisville
EVANSVILLE
Cards Blank Aces 10-0
May 17, 2005 | Baseball
May 17, 2005
LOUISVILLE, KY - Five University of Louisville pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout, as the Cardinals blanked Evansville 10-0 in the final regular season non-conference game of the year Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium.
The win is the 30th for the Cards on the season (30-21), the 11th time in school history they have notched that total, six of which have come in Head Coach Lelo Prado's 10 season's at U of L.
The Cardinals logged a five-spot in the first inning. Isaiah Howes drew a leadoff walk, Logan Johnson singled, and after a sac bunt by Daniel Burton moved the runners into scoring position, Ryan McKinnon singled them home.
Greg Taylor was then hit by a pitch, Boomer Whiting dropped his 23rd bunt single of the season, and after failing on a squeeze attempt Chris Cates knocked a two-run single up the middle. Prado put on the double steal, and on the next pitch Nick Haley laid down the suicide squeeze for the 5-0 lead.
With two out in the third, Burton roped his third home run of the season out to left onto the grass berm to make it 6-0.
Whiting walked with one out in the fourth, stole second, moved to third on a single by Haley and scored on a wild pitch. McKinnon and Taylor ripped back-to-back two out doubles down the left field line in the fifth for an 8-0 margin.
McKinnon singled to open the eighth, Derrick Alfonso walked as a pinch-hitter and Whiting was issued a base on balls to load them up for Haley, who singled home a run. J.T. LaFountain followed with his C-USA leading eight sacrifice fly of the season to close the scoring.
Jake Smith (2-1) picked up the win on a planed three-inning outing in which he allowed three hits and a walk while striking out one. Scott Jenkins gave up two hits and two walks in two innings, striking out two.
Freshman Zack Pitts twirled a 1-2-3 sixth, Griffin Bailey walked one and struck out one in an inning, and Brian Halford closed things down, striking out two and allowing a hit and two walks in the final two innings.
Ryan Lancaster (4-3) started and took the loss, surrendering five runs on four hits and two walks in two innings. Five other Aces (33-20) pitchers followed.
McKinnon finished the day equalling a career-best with three hits, driving in two and scoring twice. Cates and Haley also had multi-hit games. The shutout was the third of the season for the Cardinal pitching staff.
A number of Cardinals continued their ascent up the career and single season lists in the U of L baseball record books. LaFountain is now fifth in career games played (202), seventh in at bats (717) and ninth in walks (101). Whiting is now eighth all time in steals with 32, and his 26 this season places him fourth, four off the all-time record of 30 held by Curtis Watson, a record he set in 1985.
Halford has now pitched in 68 games in his Cardinal career, tied for sixth on the all-time list, and Bailey's 27 outings this year is tied for fifth, and five away from Carlos Fernandez' record of 32 set in 2003.
The Cards are set to close the regular season this weekend as they will be hosting UAB for a three-game set at Jim Patterson Stadium beginning Thursday at 6:00 PM. On Saturday the team will recognize eight individuals who will be on the diamond for the final time as a Cardinal. The brief ceremony will precede the game.
Admission is free to all home baseball games.
