University of Louisville
Western Kentucky
Cardinal Nine Trounces Hilltoppers 14-3
April 18, 2007 | Baseball
April 18, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Isaiah Howes, Chris Cates and Jorge Castillo each drove in three runs as the University of Louisville baseball team pounded Western Kentucky 14-3 Tuesday night at Nick Denes Field.
" It was a night that we took advantage of opportunities," said Head Coach Dan McDonnell.
"In the fourth inning we were able to string together a bunch of two out hits and in another when they made some mistakes defensively, we capitalized."
Castillo's two-out, two-run single off the base of the fence in right plated Boomer Whiting and Logan Johnson for a 2-0 Cardinal lead in the first.
The Toppers (15-19) responded with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second on RBI singles by Wade Gaynor and Adam Duvall to knot the game at two.
The Cardinals (25-11) recaptured the lead in the third when Johnson's RBI double down the right field line scored Cates, who had reached on an error and moved to second on a sac bunt by Whiting.
With two away in the fourth, Chris Dominguez muscled a single through the left side and scored on a double down the right field line by Derrick Alfonso. Cates singled in Alfonso, and Whiting's fly ball into the left field corner was mishandled by the Toppers' Tyler Bumgarner, plating Cates and giving the Cards a 6-2 lead.
Bumgarner's RBI double cut the lead to 6-3, but it was all Cardinals the rest of the way with eight unanswered runs
A leadoff walk to Justin McClanahan produced another U of L run in the Cardinal fifth on station-to-station baseball with a groundout by Cates making it 7-3.
Louisville batted around in the seventh. Johnson doubled to left-center, Daniel Burton singled and Howes brought Johnson home with a single of his own. Castillo plated another run on a fielder's choice and was replaced by pinch runner Pete Rodriguez.
McClanahan then drilled a 2-0 pitch out to right center for his fourth home run of the season and an 11-3 advantage. Dominguez then doubled and Alfonso singled before a groundout by Cates capped the inning.
U of L closed the scoring in the eighth when Burton singled ahead of Howes' ninth home run of the season. The senior belted a 2-2 pitch the other way for 14-3 final margin.
Cardinal starter James Belanger worked four plus solid innings but did not figure into the decision. He allowed three runs - one earned, on five hits and three walks, striking out three.
Skylar Meade improved his record to 6-1 allowing a hit and a walk in two shutout innings out of the pen.
"Jimmy gave us an opportunity to win the game even though it wasn't one of his sharpest nights and Skylar came in a did great job," McDonnell added.
Kyle Thornton followed with a scoreless frame, giving up a hit. Andrew Salguiero walked one and struck out one in a scoreless frame and Dominguez set the side down in order in the ninth, getting a nice sliding stop and throw to first by Johnson at second for the second out of the inning.
WKU starter Matt Hightower (0-2) took the loss, allowing six runs, two of which were earned on five hits, striking out six in five innings. Four other relievers allowed the remaining eight runs on 12 hits and a walk, striking out two in four innings.
Johnson, Burton, Howes, Alfonso and Cates each had two of the Cards' 17 hits, while Dominguez posted his first three hit game of his career as he lowered his ERA to 1.50 on the season.
Johnson was hit by a pitch for the 18th time on the season in the first, the 60th time in his career which places him 11th in NCAA history. He also belted his 56th double, placing him in a three-way tie for second in U of L history, behind only Mark Jurich's 58.
Cates is now tied for fourth on the Cardinal career list in games played (207), third in at bats (780) and seventh in hits (241). Whiting moved into a tie for ninth in runs scored (162).
The Cards travel to South Orange, New Jersey for a three-game weekend series in BIG EAST play against Seton Hall beginning Friday night at 6:00.
