University of Louisville
The Citadel
Cardinals Clipped 1-0 in the 10th
March 01, 2008 | Baseball
March 1, 2008
CHARLESTON, S.C. - A bases-loaded walk to The Citadel third baseman Matt Arnold in the bottom of the 10th inning scored the only run of the ball game, as the Bulldogs edged the University of Louisville 1-0 in an epic pitcher's duel Saturday in the featured game of the Charleston Firefighter's Memorial Challenge.
A pregame ceremony honored nine Charleston Firefighters who died last June while battling a fire. Cardinal Head Coach Dan McDonnell and Assistant Coach Chris Lemonis both played for the Bulldogs and served as assistant coaches under current head man Fred Jordan.
"It was a game of a lot of mixed emotions. Chal Port gave me a chance to play here [at The Citadel] and Freddie [Jordan] gave me my first chance to coach here," McDonnell noted.
"It was a great game today. It was an intense ballgame with tough pressure and both sides handled the pressure well. I have to tip my hat to the pitchers, both of them pitched a great game. Unfortunately we made a couple of bad pitches in the 10th inning and their leadoff double was huge for them."
The win marked the second consecutive victory in the 10th inning for The Citadel. The Bulldogs (4-2) have now defeated a nationally ranked opponent in each of the last three seasons they have hosted a preseason tournament.
UofL (3-2) reliever Dean Kiekhefer entered in the 10th and leadoff batter Matt Simonelli ripped a double into the right field corner to open the inning and moved to third on a groundout by Chris Swauger. The Cardinals intentionally walked RF Sonny Meade. Richard Jones struck out, and Meade stole second, setting up an intentional pass to Bryan Altman to load the bases with two out for Arnold.
Sophomore Justin Marks twirled six innings of shutout baseball, allowing four hits, two walks and two hit batters, striking out three. He worked his way into and out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.
Cardinal freshman Neil Holland tossed an inning and a third, walking two in relief of Marks and striking out one. Gavin Logsdon worked an inning and two-thirds, walking one for the Cards.
Kiekhefer (0-1), took the loss, surrendering a hit and walking three in two-thirds of an inning. Two of the walks were intentional.
Bulldog starter Matt Crim tossed eight shutout innings, retiring the first 13 batters of the ballgame. He gave up five hits and a walk, striking out five. Raymond Copenhaver allowed a hit in two-thirds of an inning and Matt Reifsnyder (2-0) worked an inning and a third to earn the win, allowing a hit and striking out one.
Phil Wunderlich and Jeff Arnold each had two of the seven Cardinal hits. UofL stranded seven, while the Bulldogs left 12 on base.
Cardinal pitching has allowed just two runs in 19 innings of the tournament.
The Cardinals will face North Carolina A & T Sunday at 11:00 a.m. in the final game of the tournament for both teams. The Aggies lost to the Bulldogs Friday and were thumped by the Wolfpack Saturday. RHP B.J. Rosenberg(0-1, 14.54) is slated to toe the rubber for Louisville and will face LHP Donald Howerton (1-0, 3.00) for A & T.
