University of Louisville
at Evansville
Cards Fall to Aces 6-3 Tuesday
March 15, 2006 | Baseball
March 15, 2006
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Evansville broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run fifth and held on to top the University of Louisville 6-3 on Tuesday at Braun Stadium. The Cards have now lost four straight.
Louisville (5-12) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth after Nick Haley drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a single by Isaiah Howes and scored on an RBI single by Daniel Burton.
The Aces (9-9) evened the score in the bottom of the fourth when Jeff Zelenovich's RBI single plated Pat Tumulty.
In the Evansville half of the fifth, Jim Viscomi doubled and Kern Watts walked. Kasey Wahl then singled, scoring Viscomi from second, beating the throw to the plate. When Wahl broke for second, catcher Michael Urti's throw sailed into center field, and was mishandled by Burton, allowing Watts to score and Wahl to third. A sac fly to center by Tumulty made it 4-1, UE.
With two out in the sixth, Logan Johnson belted a 2-2 pitch to right for his third home run of the season, cutting the advantage to 4-2.
Tumulty's solo home run to open the eighth answered Johnson's shot and an RBI single by Gabe Bauer scored a second insurance run for a 6-2 advantage.
In the Cardinal ninth, Derrick Alfonso smoked one-out double to left and eventually scored on a wild pitch to close the scoring.
U of L starter Jake Smith (0-1) took the loss, surrendering three runs on five hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out one.
He was relieved by Griffin Bailey, who was touched for an unearned run on two hits and a walk in 2.2 innings.
Brian Halford gave up two runs on two hits in an inning of work, fanning two.
Kai Tuomi (1-1) started for the Aces and lasted 5.2 frames, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out three. J.R. Carbonell allowed a hit and struck out one in an inning.
Ben Norton earned his first save despite giving up a run on two hits in 2.1 innings. He struck out two.
Johnson and Rodriguez each had two hits for the Cards, as they outhit the Aces 10-9.
With the appearance by Halford, he has now pitched in 81 games, tied with Carlos Fernandez for the most in U of L history.
The Cardinals host Ball State for a four-game weekend series beginning on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Jim Patterson Stadium. Admission is free.
