Cardinals Walk Off Eastern Michigan for 10th Straight Win

Saturday, March 4

LOUISVILLE, KY

Noon

University of Louisville

10-0

EASTERN MICHIGAN

2-10

Eastern Michigan

Louisville

Devin Mann connects with the ball during Saturday's win over Eastern Michigan. (Photo: Brady Klein)

Cardinals Walk Off Eastern Michigan for 10th Straight Win

March 04, 2017 | Baseball

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Hairston’s RBI sacrifice fly in the 13th inning plates Mann for the 3-2 victory

By: Garett Wall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Devin Hairston's RBI sacrifice fly to center field scored Devin Mann in the 13th inning and lifted the No. 6 Louisville baseball team to a 3-2, series-clinching win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals (10-0), who overcame a two-run deficit to extend the game into extra innings with a run in the seventh and a run in the ninth, began the decisive 13th inning when Mann was hit by a pitch from reliever Davis Feldman. After moving to second on a wild pitch and advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt from junior Drew Ellis, Mann easily scored the game-winning run after Hairston sent a 1-2 offering to center field. It was Louisville's first walk-off win since Hairston's ninth inning RBI single clinched a 7-6 victory against Kentucky on April 19, 2016.

Mann closed the game with two hits, including a double, and scored twice as the Cardinals extended their longest unbeaten streak to begin a season since winning the first 13 games in 2010. Junior Colby Fitch had two hits and scored a run, while Hairston singled and had two RBI and Ellis added a single and one RBI.

Sophomore righthander Riley Thompson had one strikeout in a scoreless 13th inning for his first collegiate win. He was preceded out of the Cardinals bullpen by sophomore lefty Adam Wolf, who had three strikeouts in three no-hit innings, and junior righty Lincoln Henzman, who finished with four strikeouts in three perfect innings of relief. Junior righthander Kade McClure provided Louisville with a quality start allowing only one earned run and two total runs on four hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.

The visiting Eagles (2-10) plated the first run of the game in the fourth inning on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Brennan Williams to score Jordan Peterson. Eastern Michigan extended the lead to 2-0 in the sixth inning on a squeeze bunt off the bat of Peterson to score Drake Lubin.

Louisville broke through for its first run of the afternoon in the seventh when Hairston drove Mann home with a two-out RBI single through the right side. The Cardinals evened the score at 2-2 in the ninth inning after Ellis connected for a RBI single to left field to send Fitch home. The pivotal ninth inning started with a leadoff single from Fitch, who advanced to third on a single by Mann before being driven home by Ellis.

Saturday's game marked the sixth straight outing and the seventh time in 10 games this season Louisville has allowed two or fewer earned runs in a game. Conversely, Louisville had its streak of consecutive games with 10 or more hits halted after finishing with an 8-5 edge in the hit column on Saturday.

The sixth-ranked Cardinals will look for their second straight weekend sweep as they conclude their series with the Eagles on Sunday at 1 p.m., ET and admission is free.

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