University of Louisville
Connecticut * <br> (Game Two)
Cards and Huskies Split Twinbill Saturday
April 14, 2007 | Baseball
April 14, 2007
STORRS, Conn. - University of Louisville pitchers Justin Marks and Kyle Hollander combined on a one-hitter in a 5-0 win in game one, but it was UConn pitching in game two as the Cards dropped the nightcap 4-1, splitting a BIG EAST doubleheader at Christian Field Saturday.
"In game one, Justin Marks was outstanding and Kyle Hollander did a nice job following him up," noted U of L Head Coach Dan McDonnell.
"We had some timely hits and made all of the plays."
Marks, a freshman from Owensboro, Kentucky carried a no-hitter into the seventh. He retired the first 10 he faced before hitting Dale Brannon in the fourth. Perfect fifth and sixth innings followed before Marks plunked Matt Unitiet with one out in the seventh and Dennis Donovan singled for the only Husky (15-18, 4-8 BIG EAST) hit in the opener.
With one out and two on, Hollander entered and retired the next six in order. A one-out walk was the only blemish before a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
The Cards (24-11, 8- BIG EAST) got all of the offense they needed, manufacturing a run in the first. Senior Boomer Whiting singled up the middle, stole second, moved to third on a fly ball by Logan Johnson and scored on Daniel Burton's third sacrifice fly of the season to give thee Cards a 1-0 lead.
Whiting again scored in third when Johnson's hard one-hopper to UConn first baseman Matt Untiet was bobbled, and the speedy Whiting scored all the way from second for a 2-0 lead.
Johnson walked with one down in the eighth and after a hit and run single by Burton extended his hit streak to a career-best 12 games and moved Johnson to third, Jorge Castillo's sac fly to center made it 3-0.
In the ninth, Pete Rodriguez hit a leadoff single, Derrick Alfonso moved him up a station with a sac bunt and a wild pitch put Rodriguez at third with one out. Cates squeezed him home and reached on a throwing error by the UConn pitcher. Cates later scored on Johnson's 15th double of the season to close the scoring.
Marks improved to 3-1 with his 6.1 innings of one-hit baseball, striking out five. Hollander picked up his second save of the season, striking out three in 2.2 IP.
Burton, Alfonso and Chris Dominguez each had two hits in game one.
UConn starter Dusty Odenbach(1-3) was the hard-luck loser, scattering nine hits and a walk over eight innings, giving up three runs while striking out four. Will Musson surrendered an earned run on two hits in the ninth.
In game two the Huskies took their first lead of the series on Donovan's RBI single in the first. A pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth extended their lead to 3-0 over the Cards.
Cates walked with two out in the U of L fifth, stole second and eventually scored on Johnson's RBI single to left to cut the lead to 3-1.
But Matt Karl's RBI single through the right side plated the fourth run of the game for the
Game two starter Colby Wark (2-2) battled through 3.2 innings in his first start of his U of L career, allowing three runs, one of which was earned on four hits and two walks, striking out five but he was saddled with the loss. Gavin Logsdon continued his solid work out of the pen, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out two in 2.1 innings.
"Colby did a nice job in his first start of the year, but we made some blunders in the field and could not get the bats going," McDonnell added.
"To win a BIG EAST title, you are going to have to win some doubleheaders, and we haven't shown the ability to do it yet."
Trystan Magnuson was touched for a run on two hits, striking out one in the final two innings.
Husky starter Greg Nappo allowed the sole run on just three hits and four walks, striking out four in seven innings. David Erickson notched save number one on the season with two innings of two-hit relief.
Whiting and Johnson each had two hits in game two. Whiting swiped five bags on the afternoon, extending his school single season record to 46. He now has 85 steals in his career in 100 attempts, five away from the school record of 90 established by Curtis Watson.
As a team, the Cardinals eclipsed the single season record of 85 steals set in 1979 and equalled in 1999. With six steals on the afternoon, the Cards are now 86 for 115 through 35 games in 2007.
Louisville will next travel to Bowling Green to face Western Kentucky Tuesday night at 7:00 ET in the fourth of eight straight on the road.
