University of Louisville
INDIANA<br>(Cancer Awareness Night)
Indiana Edges Baseball, 5-3
April 19, 2011 | Baseball
April 19, 2011
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Coach McDonnell Discusses Tuesday's Loss
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville baseball team continued its mid-season slump with a 5-3 loss to visiting Indiana on Tuesday night at Jim Patterson Stadium.
With their sixth straight loss overall, the Cardinals fell to 20-16 on the season, while the Hoosiers improved to 24-12 overall with the win. The two teams will meet again on May 17 at Sembower Field in Bloomington, Ind.
The six straight losses for the Cardinals is their longest losing skid since 2004, when they lost six straight from April 21-30. Tuesday's loss also ended Louisville's seven-game winning streak against the Hoosiers dating back to May 9, 2007.
Junior outfielder Stewart Ijames (Owensboro, Ky./Owensboro Catholic HS) and junior infielder Ryan Wright (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead HS) each finished 2-for-4 as the Cardinals lost despite out-hitting the Hoosiers 9-7. Freshman outfielder Cole Sturgeon (Owensboro, Ky./Owensboro Catholic HS) and sophomore infielder Cade Stallings (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut HS) each added an RBI in the loss. For Indiana, designated hitter Alex Dickerson led the way going 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, while shortstop Michael Basil added a two-run homer that turned out to be the difference.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Chad Green (Effingham, Ill./Effingham HS) was saddled with the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season after allowing only one earned run and two total runs on just one hit in 2.1 innings of relief. Freshman righty Jeff Thompson pitched 3.0 shutout innings in the starting role before giving way to Green. For IU, lefty starter Brian Korte earned the win to improve to 2-1 on the season after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in 6.1 innings. Closer Ryan Halstead earned his eighth save of the season with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
After the two teams combined for five scoreless innings to open the game, Indiana was the first to break through with a three-spot in the sixth inning for the 3-0 advantage. The key hit came from Dickerson, who sent a 2-2 pitch from Louisville lefty reliever Joe Stilphen (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay HS) over the centerfield wall to score outfielder Matt Serfling and infielder Micah Johnson. The inning started with a single through the right side by Serfling off of Green and continued when Johnson reached base on a throwing error by Cards' freshman third baseman Ty Young (Coatesville, Pa./Malvern Prep).
Louisville scored its first run of the night in the bottom of the sixth as Young doubled to center to leadoff the inning, moved to third on a single by Wright and scored on groundball off the bat of Ijames to cut the deficit to 3-1. However, Indiana extended the advantage to 5-1 in the top of the seventh as first baseman Jarred Sabourin led off with a single to right and later scored on the two-run homer to right field for Basil, his third of the season.
The Cardinals plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double to right center by Stallings and an RBI single up the middle by Sturgeon to cut the deficit to 5-3. And they were threatening for more in the eighth inning when, with runners on first and second and only one out, Indiana's Halstead caught a line drive off the bat of freshman catcher Kyle Gibson (Henderson, Ky./Henderson County HS) and threw to second for a 1-4 double play to end the inning. Louisville managed a baserunner in the bottom of the ninth, but Halstead forced Sturgeon into a game-ending groundout to clinch the win.
Tuesday's game was "Cancer Awareness Night" at Jim Patterson Stadium with both Louisville and Indiana wearing special game uniforms prominently featuring the color pink. It was the first ever such event at a Louisville baseball home game.
Up next, Louisville continues its four-game homestand on Thursday at 6 p.m., ET at Jim Patterson Stadium in the opening game of a three-game series against BIG EAST foe USF. Game two of the series is set for Friday at 6 p.m., while Saturday's series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. Admission is free for the entire series.
