University of Louisville
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Mistakes Costly in Baseball's 4-3 Loss to Eastern Michigan
May 03, 2011 | Baseball
May 3, 2011
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior infielder Ryan Wright hit his eighth home run of the season and had two RBI but it was not enough as late mistakes were the difference in the Louisville baseball team's 4-3 loss to visiting Eastern Michigan on Tuesday night at Jim Patterson Stadium.
With the loss, which halted their three-game winning streak, the Cardinals dropped to 25-19 overall, while the Eagles improved to 29-15 on the season with the win. The teams will conclude the two-game mid-week series on Wednesday at noon ET on Elementary School Day at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Wright (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead HS) finished 2-for-5 at the plate and plated two of the Cardinals' three runs, while senior catcher J.J. Ethel (Phoenix, Ariz./Mountain Pointe HS) was 3-for-4 with a run scored. Freshman outfielder Adam Engel (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland HS) added a pair of hits and a run scored in the loss. Second baseman Zack Leonard led the Eagles going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.
On the mound, freshman lefty Cole Sturgeon (Owensboro, Ky./Owensboro Catholic HS) was saddled with the loss and dropped to 0-1 on the season after allowing only one earned run and three total runs on three hits in 2.0 innings of relief. The Cardinals were unable to take advantage of a terrific performance from junior right-hander Travis Tingle (Louisville, Ky./Butler HS), who pitched a career-best 5.0 innings of shutout baseball allowing only four hits with three strikeouts in his first ever start in the Louisville uniform. For EMU, reliever Corey Chaffins allowed two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 6-3 on the season.
The game turned in the eighth inning when Louisville, holding a slim 1-0 advantage, committed two costly errors while attempting to field back-to-back sacrifice bunts by Eastern Michigan to load the bases with no outs for Leonard, the Eagles' career hit leader. The senior followed the errors with a two-run ground-rule double to left center to score Brent Ohrman and Daniel Russell for the 2-1 advantage. The Eagles added two more runs in the inning on an RBI single to right by shortstop Tucker Rubino and an RBI sacrifice fly to right by designated hitter Sam Ott.
Facing a three-run deficit, the Cardinals cut the EMU advantage to 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth as junior outfielder Stewart Ijames (Owensboro, Ky./Owensboro Catholic HS) led off with a double to center and scored moments later on an RBI single to center by Ethel. With Ethel at second base and no outs, Louisville's eighth inning rally was halted by Chaffins, who bounced back with three straight strikeouts to end the inning.
The Cardinals pulled closer in the ninth as Engel reached base with a leadoff walk and scored two batters later on an RBI triple to right center by Wright. However, the Cardinals' ninth inning rally ended when EMU first baseman Lee Longo made a diving stop on a ball hit down the line by Ijames and then pitched to Chaffins as he covered first for the final out of the game.
Louisville opened the scoring in the first inning of Tuesday's game as Wright sent a 2-2 pitch from EMU starter Brian Valente over the wall in the left center for his eighth home run of the season and a 1-0 advantage. The Cardinals held that advantage until the Eagles' decisive eighth inning rally.
After the loss, Louisville holds a slim 5-3 advantage in the all-time series with Eastern Michigan. Tuesday's game was the first of five games in five days for the Cardinals, who will follow Wednesday's afternoon game with EMU by traveling to New Jersey later that evening in preparation for a pivotal three-game BIG EAST Conference series at Seton Hall. Louisville and Seton Hall will play on Thursday at 6 p.m., ET and Friday at 6 p.m., before concluding the weekend series on Saturday at 1 p.m.
