No. 1 Louisville Wins 8-1, Clinches Series at NC State

Sunday, March 26

Raleigh, NC

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

21-2, 0

NC State

13-12, 0

Louisville

NC State

Baseball v Eastern Michigan | Game 3 | Devin Mann

Devin Mann homered for the second straight day and scored three times in Sunday's win.

No. 1 Louisville Wins 8-1, Clinches Series at NC State

March 26, 2017 | Baseball

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Bennett delivers five scoreless innings in the win; Ellis, Mann homer for the Cardinals

By: Garett Wall

RALEIGH, N.C. - Freshman lefty Nick Bennett twirled five scoreless innings while Drew Ellis and Devin Mann each homered as the No. 1 Louisville baseball team clinched its series at NC State with an 8-1 win on Sunday afternoon at Doak Field.

After dropping the series-opener on Friday night, the Cardinals (21-2, 8-1 ACC) answered the challenge with back-to-back wins to lockup their third ACC series win in as many chances and their fifth straight series victory overall. Louisville finished with 14 hits on Sunday, its highest total since finishing with 15 hits in a win over Eastern Michigan on March 5.

"We showed our toughness and you've got to have toughness to win on the road in the ACC. You lose your first game of the year on Tuesday night on the road and then you lose with McKay on the mound (on Friday), which doesn't happen often. At that point, you can cower down and say 'woe is us' but we really found a way to grind it out yesterday and again today," said Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell. "We continue to play hard and keep our edge about us. It started on the mound because you have to get quality starts and Bennett gave us another good one today. That allowed our offense to settle in after struggling for a couple of games and we seemed to get it back."

Bennett closed his day with four strikeouts while surrendering just three hits and one walk to earn the win and move to 3-0 on the season. In his four starts this season, the Cincinnati native has allowed only one earned run in 22.0 innings (0.40 ERA) with 21 strikeouts and registered three wins. Senior righty Jake Sparger and freshman lefty Adam Elliott followed Bennett with one scoreless inning of relief each for Louisville.

Ellis was 3-for-5 overall at the plate on Sunday and drove in two runs, including his team-leading fifth home run of the season to open the scoring for the Cardinals. Mann was 2-for-4 with his second home run of the weekend and the fourth of the season while also driving in a pair of runs. Senior Logan Taylor added two hits and scored a run, while sophomore Josh Stowers was 2-for-4 with a double, stole two bases and two runs scored.

For the first time in four road games this week, the Cardinals struck first connecting for a run in the second inning when Ellis pounded a 1-2 offering from NC State (13-12, 4-5 ACC) righty Cory Wilder sending it well beyond the left field wall for his eighth career home run and a 1-0 lead. Louisville extended the margin with a three-run third inning on four hits. Mann started the inning by sending a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for the 2-0 lead. Junior Brendan McKay added a two-out RBI single to right field to score Taylor and Ellis followed with a RBI single to left to send junior Colby Fitch home for the 4-0 edge.

The Cardinals continued to pressure the Wolfpack with a pair of runs on three hits in the fourth inning. Stowers led off the inning with a single to center field, advanced to second and third with a pair of stolen bases and scored on a RBI sacrifice fly to left field by sophomore Zeke Pinkham. Later in the inning, Fitch drove Mann home with a RBI double down the right field line for the six-run cushion.

Louisville added to the lead with a pair of runs in the eighth inning. Mann drove Stowers home with a RBI single before scoring the second run later in the inning on a throwing error by NC State shortstop Joe Dunand. The Wolfpack plated their only run of the game on a RBI double down the right field line by Stephen Pitarra.

Up next, Louisville returns home to host Western Kentucky on Tuesday at 6 p.m., ET on Cancer Awareness Night at Jim Patterson Stadium.

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