Louisville Sweeps Kentucky with Walk-Off Win

Tuesday, April 19

LOUISVILLE, KY

6:00 PM

University of Louisville

30-7

KENTUCKY

23-13

Kentucky

Louisville

Colin Lyman slides home for the game-winning run against Kentucky on Tuesday night.

Photo by: Mike DeZarn

April 19, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Hairston caps 3-for-5 day with ninth inning RBI single to score Lyman in the 7-6 victory

By: Garett Wall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sophomore shortstop Devin Hairston's ninth inning RBI single scored junior outfielder Colin Lyman to lift the No. 3 Louisville baseball team to a 7-6 walk-off win against No. 12 Kentucky on Tuesday night at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The victory, which clinched a two-game series sweep in the Battle of the Bluegrass, extended the Cardinals (30-7) winning streak against the Wildcats (23-13) to five games and marked the second straight season they walked-off their rivals at home. Tuesday's game, played in front of a standing room only crowd of 4,642, was also the second straight walk-off win for Louisville, which completed a weekend sweep of Clemson with a 9-8 walk-off win on Sunday afternoon at Patterson Stadium.

The game-winner capped a 3-for-5 night at the plate for Hairston, a Lexington native who also scored a run in Tuesday's triumph. The winning sequence began when Lyman coaxed a one-out walk from lefty reliever Logan Salow before moving to second on an infield single by sophomore Brendan McKay. After a call to the bullpen by Kentucky brought righty Zach Strecker into the game, Hairston connected on the first offering bouncing it up the middle and into centerfield. Lyman charged around third and scored just ahead of the tag by catcher Troy Squires following Storm Wilson's throw home.

Senior first baseman Danny Rosenbaum was a big factor offensively in Tuesday's win finishing 3-for-3 with two doubles, one walk, one RBI and two runs scored as Cardinals out-hit the Wildcats 12-8. Junior outfielder Corey Ray was 2-for-5 with his 11th home run of the season, one double and two runs driven in. His 23rd career home run highlighted a three-run seventh inning as Louisville charged back from a 5-1 deficit.

On the mound, senior righthander Anthony Kidston had one strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win and improve to 1-0 on the season. Sophomore righty Kade McClure, who started against Kentucky for the second time in six days, finished with a no-decision after allowing four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings.

The Wildcats opened the scoring Tuesday night on a two-out RBI double to right by Zach Reks to plate Evan White for the 1-0 lead in the first inning. White earned a leadoff walk to begin the game and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Wilson before scoring on the fourth double of the season for Reks.

Kentucky used an unearned run in the third inning to extend the advantage to 2-0. After reaching base on an error, White moved to third on a double by Wilson before scoring on a RBI groundout from Gunnar McNeill.

Louisville broke through for its first run of the night in the fifth inning when junior outfielder Logan Taylor scored from first on a RBI single by freshman second baseman Devin Mann. Taylor led off with a single through the right side before Mann sent the first pitch of his at-bat against lefty Zach Logue into deep right center for his 13th RBI of the season.

The visiting Wildcats added to their lead with three runs in the top of the seventh. After an RBI sacrifice fly by Riley Mahan scored JaVon Shelby, White added a RBI single to plate Luke Becker and Wilson followed with a RBI single to send Marcus Carson home for the 5-1 cushion.

The Cardinals answered with their own three-spot in the bottom of the seventh. Following a RBI groundout off the bat of Taylor to score Rosenbaum, Ray crushed the first pitch he received from righty Justin Lewis sending it over the 402-foot sign in center field for a two-run shot.

After a RBI sacrifice fly to center by Carson scored Reks in the top of the eighth, Louisville responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth to even the score at 6-6. Hairston started the inning with a single up the middle against Lewis and after moving to second on a wild pitch, scored on a RBI double to left field by Rosenbaum. Righty Sean Hjelle entered from the Kentucky bullpen and delivered a pair of wild pitches allowing Rosenbaum to advance from second all the way home for the game-tying run.

Salow was charged with the loss for the Wildcats and dropped to 1-1 on the season. Logue, who also started last week's first contest between the rivals, allowed just one run on six hits in five innings for the no-decision.

Up next, the Cardinals return to ACC action with a weekend visit to Boston College starting Friday at 2:30 p.m., ET. The Cardinals and Eagles are also scheduled for Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon.

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