Funkhouser Dominant in Season-Opening Win

Friday, February 13

Clearwater, Fla.

3:00 PM

University of Louisville

1-0

Alabama State

0-1

Louisville

Alabama State

February 13, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 13, 2015

Kyle Funkhouser retired the final 20 batters he faced to earn his 19th career win.

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

CardsTV Postgame Interviews: Dan McDonnell | Kyle Funkhouser

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Junior righthander Kyle Funkhouser matched a career-high with 12 strikeouts and allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings to lead the seventh-ranked Louisville baseball team to a 5-1 season-opening win over Alabama State.

Competing in the first game of the four-team Opening Weekend Challenge at Bright House Field, Funkhouser (Oak Forest, Ill.) retired the final 20 batters he faced after allowing a single and a walk in the first inning. The All-American equaled his strikeout total at Temple last May and improved to 19-4 in his collegiate career with Friday's performance.

At the plate for the Cardinals, sophomore outfielder Corey Ray (Chicago, Ill.) had two doubles, an RBI and a run scored, while sophomore infielder Nick Solak (Woodridge, Ill.) added a pivotal two-out, two-run single to help break the game open. Sophomore outfielder Logan Taylor (Lexington, Ky.) was 2-for-3 with one RBI and scored once, while senior infielder Sutton Whiting (New Wilmington, Pa.) added two singles and two stolen bases.

Louisville opened the scoring in the third inning on Friday after redshirt freshman designated hitter Blake Tiberi (Taylor Mill, Ky.) delivered a RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Ray for the 1-0 lead against Alabama State starter T.J. Renda. The inning started with a double to center field by Ray, who took third on a single by senior infielder Zach Lucas (Louisville, Ky.).

The margin remained at just one until a three-run seventh inning for the Cardinals ended any hopes for the Hornets. The scoring started with Solak sending a two-out offering from Renda up the middle to score sophomore outfielder Colin Lyman (Algonquin, Ill.) and Taylor. Ray followed with a stinging RBI double off the right field wall to plate Solak for the 4-0 lead.

Taylor added a RBI single to right in the top of the eighth before Alabama State connected for its only run of the night on a RBI double to left by pinch hitter Hunter Allen. Louisville freshman righty Lincoln Henzman (Lexington, Ky.) recorded the final six outs of the game for the Cardinals.

Louisville returns to action on Saturday at 6 p.m., ET against USF during day two of the Opening Weekend Challenge at Bright House Field.

Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.

Louisville Postgame Notes
• The Cardinals won their second straight season-opener and improved to 6-3 in season-openers under head coach Dan McDonnell.

• Louisville moved to 22-12 all-time at Bright House Field since its first visit to the ballpark in 2006.

• Dating back to May 2012, the Cardinals have won 99 straight games when entering the ninth inning with a lead.

• Louisville has won 56 straight games (dating back to 2013) when scoring five or more runs.

• The one hit allowed by Kyle Funkhouser was the fewest for him in a start of three or more innings in his collegiate career.

• Funkhouser allowed just one walk on Friday, the fewest for him since not issuing a walk in a complete game shutout victory at Eastern Kentucky in 2013.

• Zach Lucas and Sutton Whiting have hit safely in four straight games dating back to last season.

• Three Cardinals made their collegiate debuts on Friday - redshirt freshman Blake Tiberi and true freshmen Devin Hairston and Lincoln Henzman.