Cardinals Complete Sweep with Second Straight Shutout

Sunday, February 26

LOUISVILLE, KY

Noon

University of Louisville

7-0

OMAHA

1-7

Omaha

Louisville

Michael McAvene prepares to release a pitch on Sunday at Patterson Stadium.

February 26, 2017 | Baseball

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McAvene finishes with 11 strikeouts in five innings to earn his first collegiate victory

By: Garett Wall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Freshman righthander Michael McAvene struck out 11 as the No. 6 Louisville baseball team registered its second straight shutout and completed a weekend sweep of the University of Nebraska Omaha with Sunday's 6-0 victory at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Making his second career start, McAvene scattered four hits in five scoreless innings while accumulating the most strikeouts for a Cardinals pitcher this season to clinch his first collegiate win. Sunday's performance for McAvene, who lowered his ERA to 1.04 through two starts, also marked the highest single game strikeout total for a Louisville freshman since Brendan McKay had 12 strikeouts at NC State on May 15, 2015.

Freshman lefthander Nick Bennett was the first pitcher out of the Cardinals bullpen and recorded two strikeouts in two scoreless innings of relief. Sophomore righty Riley Thompson had two strikeouts in the eighth inning, while senior Shane Hummel recorded the final three outs of the game for Louisville, which clinched its third shutout in seven games this season.

Senior Logan Taylor connected for his third three-hit performance in the last four games finishing 3-for-5 overall with a double, triple and three RBI as the Cardinals improved to 7-0 overall to extend their longest unbeaten streak to open a season since winning each of the first 13 games in 2010. Hitting in the leadoff spot in all seven games this season, Taylor has a .464 batting average with nine RBI and nine runs scored.

Senior Ryan Summers was 2-for-3 with one RBI and scored once, while junior Devin Hairston finished 2-of-4 with a double and scored two runs. McKay chipped in with three hits, his sixth multi-hit game of the season, and the two-way standout leads the Cardinals with a .619 batting average, three home runs, 11 RBI, .677 on-base percentage and 1.095 slugging percentage.

Louisville opened the scoring Sunday with a run in the first when n Taylor led off the inning with a triple down the right field line before an RBI groundout by junior Colby Fitch sent him home. The Cardinals added their second run of the day in the fifth inning on a RBI single up the middle by Summers to score Hairston.

UofL extended the lead to 3-0 in the seventh inning after Taylor delivered a RBI double to right center to score Summers, who had singled moments earlier. An inning later, the Cardinals doubled the advantage by plating three runs in the eighth on a pinch-hit RBI single by freshman Jake Snider and a two-run single from Taylor.

Up next, No. 6 Louisville continues its eight-game homestand at Jim Patterson Stadium with a visit from Morehead State on Wednesday at 3 p.m., ET.

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