Cardinals Tame Tigers in Saturday’s 9-1 Victory

Saturday, March 5

LOUISVILLE, KY

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

8-2

PRINCETON

0-2

Princeton

Louisville

Nick Solak scores on a wild pitch during Saturday's win over Princeton.

March 05, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

McKay finishes with eight strikeouts, improves to 3-0; Tiberi registers seventh multi-hit performance

By: Garett Wall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sophomore lefthander Brendan McKay had eight strikeouts on the mound while infielders Blake Tiberi and Nick Solak paced the offense as the No. 4 Louisville baseball team cruised past Princeton 9-1 on Saturday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.

A native of Darlington, Pennsylvania, McKay won his third straight start to open the season allowing one run on three hits while reaching eight strikeouts for the third time this season and the 10th time in his career. The run on Saturday was the first of the season allowed by McKay ending his scoreless streak at 23.2 innings dating back to last season. The two-way talent, who doubled and drove in a run at the plate on Saturday, improved to 12-3 in his collegiate career, including 3-0 this season with a 0.43 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 21.0 innings.

Tiberi continued his hot start to the season on Saturday finishing 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. It was the team-leading seventh multi-hit game of the season for Tiberi, who has hit safely in all 10 games this season and has a .500 average with 11 RBI. Solak chipped in with a double, one RBI, two walks and three runs scored, while junior outfielder Corey Ray homered for the fifth time this season and was 3-for-3 on stolen bases.

The Cardinals wasted little time taking control in Saturday's game plating a pair of runs in the first inning against Princeton starter Cameron Mingo. After reaching base with a one-out single to center, junior outfielder Logan Taylor was driven home on a RBI double down the right field line by Solak. Later in the inning, Solak moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch for the 2-0 lead.

Louisville doubled its lead in the third inning behind a RBI double from McKay and a RBI single by Tiberi. Ray led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a groundout and stole third before scoring the first run. Tiberi extended the advantage to 4-0 by driving in Solak, who walked earlier in the inning and has a team-leading 13 walks this season.

Princeton broke through for its only run of the game in the top of the fifth with on a RBI single to right by Nick Hernandez. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back two-out RBI hits from Tiberi and senior first baseman Danny Rosenbaum. The scoring started when Tiberi sent a 3-2 offering down the right field line to score Taylor, who walked and stole second earlier in the inning. Rosenbaum followed with a single through the left side to plate Tiberi for the five-run cushion.

The Cardinals added to the lead in the seventh inning on a RBI single by sophomore shortstop Devin Hairston to score Solak before junior outfielder Colin Lyman scored from third on a wild pitch for the second run of the frame. Louisville's final run of the afternoon came off the bat of Ray, who led off the eighth inning with a blast over the wall in left center.

A pair of relievers kept the Tigers offense caged as junior lefty Dylan Shoffner had two strikeouts in a perfect eighth inning and freshman righty Sam Bordner finished with one strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning to close the game. Mingo was charged with the loss for Princeton allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in four innings.

The Cardinals and Tigers will conclude their series Sunday at noon ET at Jim Patterson Stadium and admission is free.

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