University of Louisville
RUTGERS
No. 4 Baseball Drops Series-Opener to Rutgers, 6-2
March 22, 2013 | Baseball
March 22, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The fourth-ranked Louisville baseball team saw its nine-game winning streak halted on Friday night at Jim Patterson Stadium as visiting Rutgers earned a 6-2 victory in the BIG EAST Conference opener for both squads.
The Cardinals, who had won nine straight for the second time this season, dropped to 18-3 overall, while the Scarlet Knights improved to 7-10 on the season. The two teams will complete their weekend series with a Saturday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., ET at Patterson Stadium and admission is free. The series was originally set for a Sunday afternoon finale but that game will be played Saturday due to expected inclement weather.
Rutgers gained command early on Friday plating two runs in the first inning on four hits against Louisville righty starter Chad Green (Effingham, Ill./Effingham HS). After a leadoff groundout, the Scarlet Knights connected for four straight hits, including RBI singles by centerfielder Brian O'Grady and leftfielder Lou Clemente to take a 2-0 advantage.
Following a scoreless frame in the second, Rutgers added three more runs in the third, including one unearned. After leading off with a single to left, second baseman Nick Favatella scored later in the inning on an RBI single up the middle by right fielder Vinny Zarrillo. Clemente followed with an RBI double to right center to plate O'Grady, who doubled earlier in the inning. The Scarlet Knights added its final run of the inning following a Louisville throwing error.
The Cardinals finally broke through for a run against Rutgers lefty starter Rob Smorol in the sixth inning when senior second baseman Nick Ratajczak (Joliet, Ill./Gulf Coast CC) scored from second on an RBI single to left by freshman designated hitter Danny Rosenbaum (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh HS). Louisville cut the deficit to 5-2 an inning later on an RBI single through the left side by sophomore shortstop Sutton Whiting (New Wilmington, Pa./Louisville Ballard HS) to score junior catcher Kyle Gibson (Henderson, Ky./Henderson County HS).
However, that was as close as the Cardinals would get as Rutgers added an unearned run in the eighth inning for the final four-run margin. Green, who allowed four earned runs and five total runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts 5.2 innings, took the loss and dropped to 3-2 on the season. Smorol earned the win and improved to 2-1 on the season after allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts in seven innings. Charlie Lasky followed Smorol with scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth to close out the game.
At the plate, Whiting was the only Cardinal with more than one hit going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and an RBI. Overall, Louisville was out-hit for just the fourth time this season as the Scarlet Knights finished with a 13-7 advantage.
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Postgame Louisville Notes
- With Friday's loss, the Cardinals dropped to 16-2 at Jim Patterson Stadium this season and 196-72 (.731 winning percentage) overall at the ballpark, which opened in 2005.
- Louisville dropped its BIG EAST Conference opener for just the second time in eight seasons in the league. The only other BIG EAST opening loss for the Cardinals was a 1-0 loss at Villanova in 2007.
- The 13 hits for the Scarlet Knights were the most allowed by Louisville this season.
- The Cardinals' three errors on Friday match a season-high going back to Feb. 22 against Akron.
- Rutgers became just the second team in 21 games this season to score on the Cardinals in the first inning. Overall, Louisville has a 24-5 advantage in the first this season.
- The 12 hits were the most ever allowed by Chad Green, four more than his previous high total last season against Missouri in the Cardinals' win the NCAA Regional.
- After Friday's game, the Cardinals own a 17-6 lead in the all-time series with the Scarlet Knights, including a 9-3 edge in games in Louisville.
- Sutton Whiting's two-hit performance on Friday was his eighth multi-hit game of the season, which is tied for second on the team.
