University of Louisville
West Virginia*<br><i>(Game One)</i>
Cards Split Twin Bill At West Virginia Saturday
May 11, 2008 | Baseball
May 10, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.V. - A 6-2 win in the opener extended the University of Louisville baseball team's win streak to a season-long 10 games, but West Virginia captured the nightcap 5-2 Saturday, setting up a rubber game Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
In game one, sophomore Chris Dominguez drilled a frozen rope over the fence in left field to lead off the second inning, his BIG EAST leading 15th home run of the season, to put the Cards (34-17, 14-9 BIG EAST) on top 1-0. Two outs later Andrew Clark hammered a 2-1 pitch out to right for a 2-0 Cardinal lead.
In the second, with one out, John Dao, Phil Wunderlich and Justin McClanahan hit consecutive singles, with McClanahan's plating the third Louisville run. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Dominguez made it 4-0 Cards.
The first two batters of the bottom of the fifth inning reached against UofL starter Justin Marks. A bunt attempt by leadoff man Justin Parks was popped up and Marks made a diving catch to double up the runner at second. Marks then struck out Tyler Kuhn, the top hitter in the BIG EAST, looking to end the fifth.
Marks loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth. A strike out of Joe Agreste was the first out of the inning, but the next batter, Jordon Yost was hit by a pitch to push across a run and make it 4-1 Cards. Marks then fanned two more with the bases chucked to get out of the jam.
In the bottom of the seventh an RBI single by Vince Belnome plated an unearned run to further cut into the UofL lead, but the Cards picked up two insurance runs in the eighth to seal the win.
Dominguez hammered a solo shot to straightaway center for his second home run of the game and 16th of the season, making it 5-2, and with Jeff Arnold on at first, Clark singled to center, and two errors later, Arnold scored the final run of game one.
Marks improved his record to 6-1 with 6.1 solid innings. The sophomore lefty allowed a pair of runs, one of which was earned, on seven hits and a walk, striking out seven. Thomas Royse tossed two innings of scoreless relief, allowing three hits, while striking out one.
Senior closer B.J. Rosenberg, defending BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week, allowed a base hit, but induced a game-ending double play to notch his sixth save of the season.
WVU (33-15, 12-11 BIG EAST) starter Josh Whitlock allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk, fanning seven in 7.1 IP, dropping to 7-5 with the loss.
Dao notched his team-leading third four-hit game of the season in game one.
In the nightcap, the Cardinals tallied an unearned run when Dao scored on an error in the first to take a 1-0 lead, but the Mountaineers scored the next five.
Mark Dvoroznak, Parks and Kuhn hit consecutive RBI singles in the second to take a 3-1 lead.
Austin Markel tripled down the right field line to open the third and scored on a throwing error by Ijames, making it 4-1.
A two-base error by Josh Richmond followed a walk, putting a pair in scoring position, and a wild pitch gave WVU a 5-1 advantage.
McClanahan reached on a bunt single to open the eighth and eventually scored on a sac fly by Ijames, but the Cards could get no closer.
UofL picked up a pair of spectacular catches in the second game, one by Drew Haynes in right center, a diving stab on the warning track that ended the first and Richmond robbed Jedd Gyorko of a home run, snaring the last out of the eighth, leaping and reaching over the fence in left.
WVU starter Matt Yurish(6-1) went the distance, giving up one earned run on seven singles and a walk, striking out nine.
Zack Pitts (5-5) was chased after three innings, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk, striking out two, while taking the loss.
Jon Clarence allowed an unearned run on two walks in an inning and a third. Neil Holland tossed two innings, surrendering a hit and three walk, striking out two, and James Belanger retired all five he faced, striking out one in an inning and two-thirds.
Bob Revesz will take the hill for the Cards in Sunday's deciding game.
