Louisville Baseball Post-Game Notes

May 3, 2011

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Louisville Team Notes

Eastern Michigan won for the third time in the eight-game all-time series between the schools, reaching the four-run mark for just the second time ever against the Cards (the other was the Eagles' 9-2 win on March 2, 2006). EMU has averaged only 3.0 runs per game in the series, including 2.0 over the squads' past four matchups.

The loss was Louisville's 10th at home this year, the most for the Cards at Jim Patterson Stadium since the team's first full season at the venue (21-12 in 2006).

EMU's four-run eighth inning tied for the largest allowed by the Cards in the eighth inning or later since Kentucky scored five in the top of the ninth on April 28 last season, a game the Cards won 10-9 thanks to four runs in the bottom of the frame. Louisville had not entered the eighth inning with a lead, surrendered an inning of four runs or more, and gone on to lose since its first-ever College World Series game on June 15, 2007. In that contest, top-ranked Rice entered the eighth down 10-9 but plated six in the inning and went on to win, 15-10.

Louisville falls to 22-3 this season when leading after seven innings, 3-4 in one-run games, and 5-12 when committing 2+ errors. Louisville had just five multi-error games over the season's first 24 games, but has registered 12 in the past 20 ballgames (.974 fielding percentage over the former period, .952 over the latter).

The winning team has scored four runs or less in 14 of the Cards' 26 non-conference matchups this season, including 10 of the 16 at home.

Louisville Player Notes

Junior Ryan Wright's first-inning blast moved his hitting streak to nine games and his RBI streak to four. Wright's career highs in those categories are 13 and 10, respectively. He is batting .457 (16-for-35) during the hit streak with 15 RBI, including eight over the past three contests.

Wright drove in multiple runs for the third straight game, the first time he has done that since the BIG EAST Tournament last season. With another game of 2+ RBI on Wednesday, Wright would become the first Cardinal with four consecutive multi-RBI games since Chris Dominguez had four straight three-RBI games from May 17-23, 2008.

Since his average dropped to a season-low .278 on March 20, Wright is hitting .374 (37-for-99) with 29 RBI in 25 games.

Wright's long ball was his fourth in the past seven games. The junior now has 29 career home runs to his credit.

Wright also tripled in the game, the second time this season he has collected the two most difficult quarters of the cycle (triple, homer) in the same game (he also accomplished the feat on March 26 at Rutgers). He has actually turned the trick three times in his career--also smacking a triple and a home run in a win over Morehead State on Feb. 23, 2010--the most by any Cardinal over the past 11 seasons. Mark Jurich, the school's all-time leader in triples, is the only other U of L player to do it twice during that time.

Triple, home run in same game, Louisville players (since 2001)
5.3.11 - Ryan Wright vs. Eastern Michigan (2-for-5, 3B, HR)
3.26.11 - Ryan Wright at Rutgers (4-for-5, 2 1B, 3B, HR)
2.23.10 - Ryan Wright vs. Morehead State (2-for-3, 3B, HR)
4.26.08 - Stewart Ijames vs. Cincinnati (2-for-4, 3B, HR)
3.5.08 - Andrew Clark vs. Eastern Kentucky (2-for-5, 3B, HR)
5.8.05 - Boomer Whiting at Charlotte (2-for-4, 3B, HR)
4.12.03 - Mark Jurich at Cincinnati (2-for-6, 3B, HR)
4.21.02 - Mark Jurich vs. Charlotte (2-for-3, 3B, HR)

Wright's four triples in 2011 tie for the most by a Louisville player since Andrew Clark had five in 2008.

Junior Travis Tingle made the first start of his Louisville career on Tuesday, blanking the Eagles over 5.0 frames. In so doing, Tingle continued his utter dominance of non-conference foes, lowering his ERA in non-league play this season to 0.57. He has not allowed a run to a non-BIG EAST team in 13.2 innings, a streak dating all the way back to his first appearance as a Cardinal (March 1 against Morehead State).

Travis Tingle in non-conference play, 2011 season

ERA W-L APP IP  H   R   ER  BB  SO

0.57 0-0 8 15.2 14 1 1 2 11

Tingle became just the third Cardinal pitcher since 2001 to toss 5.0+ scoreless innings in his first career start in a Louisville uniform, joining Matt Lea and current teammate Dace Kime. Kime has been the only true freshman to achieve the feat (Tingle spent two seasons at Cleveland State C.C., while Lea transferred from Mississippi State).

5.0+ shutout innings in first career start with Cardinals, since 2001Date Pitcher     Opponent        IP  H   R   ER  BB  SO5.3.11   Travis Tingle  E. Michigan (H) 5.0 4   0   0   1   33.1.11  Dace Kime      Morehead St. (H)    5.0 1   0   0   0   74.29.08 Matt Lea    Morehead St. (H)    5.0 1   0   0   0   8

Freshman Adam Engel stole a base (two, in fact) for the third straight game on Tuesday, becoming the third Cardinal to accomplish the feat this season. Ty Young stole bases in back-to-back-to-back games against Western Kentucky (two), West Virginia (one), and West Virginia (one) from March 29-April 2, while Ryan Wright had a theft in every game of the recent USF series (April 21-23). The last Louisville player to steal a base in four straight games was Drew Haynes from Feb. 28-March 6 of last season.

Consecutive games with a stolen base, Louisville players (since 2001)
1. 6 - Boomer Whiting - 4.25.07-5.5.07 (1-1-2-1-1-1)
2. 5 - Boomer Whiting - 2.28.07-3.7.07 (2-1-2-2-3)
2. 5 - Boomer Whiting - 3.15.05-3.20.05 (1-1-1-3-1)
4. 4 - Drew Haynes - 2.28.10-3.6.10 (1-1-1-1)
4. 4 - Chris Dominguez - 3.11.09-3.16.09 (1-1-1-1)
4. 4 - Justin McClanahan - 5.16.08-5.20.08 (2-1-2-1)
4. 4 - Boomer Whiting - 2.18.07-2.24.07 (2-3-2-1)
4. 4 - Boomer Whiting - 4.11.07-4.14.07 (1-1-2-3)
4. 4 - Isaiah Howes - 5.16.06-5.20.06 (1-1-2-1)
4. 4 - Boomer Whiting - 2.23.05-2.27.05 (2-1-2-3)
4. 4 - Mike Hook - 3.8.01-3.11.01 (2-2-3-1)
12. 3 - Adam Engel - 4.30.11-Present (1-1-2)
12. 3 - 16 other occurrences

No Cardinal rookie has stolen a base in four consecutive games since at least the 2000 season.

Engel finished with a 2-for-3 night at the plate, giving him four hits in seven at bats over the past two games. He has scored five runs in the past three contests as well.

Senior J.J. Ethel also picked up his second straight multi-hit game, smacking two singles and a double in four times up. Ethel has four multi-hit efforts over his last seven games, batting .417 (10-for-24) with a .483 on-base percentage over that span.

The three hits for Ethel matched a career high, a feat he also achieved on April 3, 2010, against Villanova.

Ethel drove in a run for the fourth straight game and the sixth time in seven games, lacing a base hit to center to bring home Stewart Ijames in the eighth. Seven of Ethel's 12 RBI on the season have come in the last seven games.

Ethel has reached base safely in each of the past 12 games after reaching in 11 straight earlier this season (March 4-20).

Ethel also swiped his second career base in the game, both of which have come in the past three games.

Young drew a walk for the fifth consecutive game, the 10th-longest streak by a Louisville hitter over the past six seasons and second-longest this year (behind Cole Sturgeon's six game streak from March 27-April 5).

Consecutive games with a base on balls, Louisville players (since 2006)
1. 8 - Nick Haley - 5.12.06-5.23.06 (1-1-1-2-2-1-2-2)
2. 7 - Jeff Arnold - 2.28.10-3.12.10 (1-3-1-1-1-1-2)
2. 7 - Andrew Clark - 4.4.09-4.14.09 (2-1-2-2-1-2-2)
2. 7 - Chris Cates - 4.23.06-5.3.06 (1-3-1-1-3-1-1)
2. 7 - Logan Johnson - 4.15.06-4.25.06 (1-1-2-1-2-2-1)
6. 6 - Cole Sturgeon - 3.27.11-4.5.11 (1-1-1-1-1-2)
6. 6 - Chris Dominguez - 5.19.09-5.29.09 (1-1-1-1-1-1)
6. 6 - Andrew Clark - 3.7.09-3.18-09 (2-1-3-1-1-2)
6. 6 - Jorge Castillo - 5.7.06-5.18.06 (1-1-2-2-3-1)
10. 5 - Ty Young - 4.23.11-Present (1-1-1-1-1)
10. 5 - Andrew Clark - 5.8.10-5.15.10 (2-2-1-1-2)
10. 5 - Michael Urti - 3.17.06-3.24.06 (1-1-2-1-1)
10. 5 - Boomer Whiting - 2.22.06-3.2.06 (2-1-1-1-2)

Ijames walked, doubled, scored, and registered his eighth outfield assist of the year in the game, gunning down Daniel Russell in his attempt to go first-to-third on a single in the ninth. Ijames' eight outfield assists tie for the most by a Cardinal since Josh Bolen recorded nine in 2002.

Outfield assists in a season, Louisville players (since 2001)
1. 9 - Josh Bolen (2002)
2. 8 - Stewart Ijames (2011)
2. 8 - Dave Williams, Jr. (2003)
2. 8 - Mike Hook (2001)
5. 7 - Josh Bolen (2003)

Ijames has 17 outfield assists in his 159-game career.

Ijames was making his 41st consecutive start in right field for U of L, as well as his 25th straight in the cleanup spot.

The outfield assist was a major factor in sophomore Curtis McCombs' ability to give up two hits and two walks in a single inning (ninth) without allowing a run. McCombs also picked off a runner at first in the inning.

McCombs has not allowed an earned run over his three outings this season, covering 3.0 innings.

Sturgeon set a new career high with three strikeouts in the game, but fell victim to a pair of errors (one his own) in taking his first loss.

University of Louisville Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jeff Arnold

Jorge Castillo

Jorge Castillo

Chris Cates

Andrew Clark

Chris Dominguez

Adam Engel

J.J. Ethel

Drew Haynes

Isaiah Howes

Stewart Ijames

Logan Johnson

Dace Kime

Dace Kime

Dace Kime

Dace Kime

Matt Lea

Matt Lea

Matt Lea

Justin McClanahan

Curtis McCombs

Cole Sturgeon

Travis Tingle

Travis Tingle

Travis Tingle

Boomer Whiting

Ryan Wright

Ty Young

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