University of Louisville
XAVIER <br> <i>Game One</i>
No. 23 Cards Split Pair With Xavier
March 11, 2008 | Baseball
March 11, 2008
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After dropping the opener 9-4, the University of Louisville baseball team grabbed the nightcap by pounding out nine extra-base hits in a 13-3 win over Xavier Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium, splitting the doubleheader.
In game two, Cardinal senior starter B.J. Rosenberg set a new Cardinal record by starting the 45th game of his career on the mound, more than any other pitcher in the history of Cardinal baseball.
"Right now, when we are up three or four, we are good at extending the lead, but when we are down, we're not very good at coming back. There are a lot of little things that we need to do better," Head Coach Dan McDonnell offered.
The Musketeers (2-6) took an early lead in the second inning of game one, plating five runs on five hits and a costly error. John McCambridge punctuated the inning with a two-run single.
Derrick Alfonso smacked a solo home run to left to open the Cardinal third to cut the lead to 5-1.
UofL (6-4) loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but could not push a run across, and Xavier responded in the seventh. Steve Brown doubled and moved to third when a sac bunt attempt was mishandled, allowing Robbie Kelley to reach safely. DH Zac Richard then belted his third home run of the season out to right for an 8-1 advantage.
Freshman Nate Holland hit a two-run shot to left in the seventh to edge the Cardinals closer Andrew Clark singled home Justin McClanahan, who had doubled to open the eighth, to trim the lead to 8-4.
A single by Tyler Mickits then loaded the bases for the Cards with nobody out, but a pop up and a double play quickly ended the threat.
An RBI single by Billy O'Connor sealed the game in the ninth.
After the previous weekend series was cancelled due to weather, Cardinal ace Zack Pitts (2-1) got the start, but lasted just 1.1 innings, allowing five runs - three of which were earned on six hits, striking out two while taking the loss.
Justin Marks worked 4.2 shutout innings out of the pen, giving up four hits and striking out four. Freshman Thomas Royse was touched for four runs, three earned on six hits and a walk, striking out four in three innings of relief.
XU starter Mike Creevy scattered five hits and three walks over six-plus innings, striking out four to pick up the win and improve his record to 2-0 on the season. Brett Greenwell tossed the final three innings, giving up two runs on five hits, fanning two to earn the save.
The Cards opened game two with a bang.
Holland and Clark hit consecutive seeing-eye singles and McClanahan tripled them home for a 2-0 lead. An RBI groundout by Chris Dominguez made it 3-0 Cards.
Tyler Aholt's infield single in the top of the second plated the run on a close play at first that would have been the third out of the inning, cutting the advantage to 3-1.
Clark singled to open the Louisville third and scored on a double by Dominguez, making it 4-1.
Adam Pasono's solo home run in the top of the third put the lead back to two runs.
A throwing error on what would have been the third out of the inning by freshman Josh Richmond allowed another run to score and narrowed the Cardinal margin to 4-3, but Louisville would score the final nine runs of the game.
Richmond atoned for the error with a leadoff double and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth.
Dominguez singled and scored when Stewart Ijames blistered a double off the top of the wall in center. Richmond then walked, and Mickits then tripled off the wall in right, plating two more in the three-run fifth.
With one down in the sixth, Clark doubled and moved to third on a single by McClanahan before another Dominguez double. Catcher Jeff Arnold then pulverized a 1-0 pitch over the berm in left, a three-run shot and the first of his Cardinal career.
An RBI pinch single by Tyler Christensen scored McClanahan in the eighth to close the scoring.
Rosenberg (2-1) worked four innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and a walk, fanning three to earn the win.
Freshman Gabriel Shaw saw his string of consecutive batters retired end at 21 to start his career on a cheap single in the sixth, but he retired the next batter on a strikeout and induced a double play ground ball. He faced the minimum in his two innings of relief, striking out a pair.
Fellow freshman Bob Revesz gave up just one hit and a pair of walks, striking out seven over the final three innings to earn his first career save.
Clark, McClanahan and Dominguez each had three hits to pace the Cardinal attack in game two. Dominguez and McClanahan each finished the day with five hits, combining for five extra-base knocks.
The Cardinals host Wright State Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. to make up a game originally scheduled for February 26. Admission is free.
