No. 13 Cardinals Win 8-3 at The Citadel

Saturday, February 17

Charleston, SC

4:00 PM

University of Louisville

2-0

The Citadel

1-1

Louisville

The Citadel

Nick Bennett twirls a pitch en route to earning his sixth career win. (Photo: Michael McCammon)

February 17, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Wyatt finishes with career best three RBIs as Louisville moves to 2-0 on the season

By: Garett Wall

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Sophomore Logan Wyatt drove in a career best three runs on Saturday as the 13th-ranked Louisville baseball team rolled to an 8-3 win over The Citadel on day two of the Charleston Crab House Challenge at Joseph P. Riley Park. The game was called after eight innings due to fog.

Wyatt finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a double to go with his team-leading three RBIs for the Cardinals, who moved to 2-0 on the season. Sophomore Jake Snider added two RBIs and scored twice while finishing 1-for-2 with two walks and one stolen base. Sophomore Tyler Fitzgerald added two hits, including a double, with one stolen base and two runs scored in the win.

On the mound, sophomore lefthander Nick Bennett came out of the bullpen to register his first win of the season and the sixth of his collegiate career after registering two strikeouts without allowing an earned run in 2.1 innings. Junior righthander Riley Thompson made his first collegiate start allowing just one run on four hits with four strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Sophomore righty Shay Smiddy twirled a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts to close the game for Louisville.

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the first inning when Wyatt delivered a one-out RBI single through the right side to score Snider, who walked earlier in the frame. Louisville pushed the advantage to 2-0 in the fourth inning after junior Pat Rumoro drove junior Devin Mann home with a one-out RBI single to right field.

The cushion for the Cardinals doubled in the fifth inning thanks to a pair of runs on three hits. Fitzgerald started the inning with a double to left center and stole third before scoring on a RBI single to center from Snider. After stealing second, Snider was driven home on a double to left center off the bat of Wyatt.

The Citadel broke through for its first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a RBI sacrifice fly to center by William Kinney to plate Cole Buffington. The Bulldogs threatened for more loading the bases with two outs before Bennett entered from bullpen and forced a groundout to end the inning.

Louisville found the scoring column for the third straight inning adding three runs in the sixth for a 7-1 advantage. Snider earned a bases loaded walk to send freshman Zach Britton home for the first run, while Mann followed with a RBI sacrifice fly to right to score sophomore Justin Lavey. The Cardinals added their run after a throwing error by the Bulldogs allowed junior Josh Stowers to score.

After The Citadel scored a pair of unearned runs in the sixth, Louisville capped the scoring with a run in the eighth inning on a bases loaded walk to Wyatt. The Cardinals had scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning before play was halted with one out due to heavy fog, which engulfed the ballpark moments earlier. The final score and stats reverted back to the last completed inning officially ending the game after the eighth inning.

The Citadel and Head Coach Tony Skole honored Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell prior to Saturday's game. A 1992 Citadel alumnus, McDonnell and Skole were teammates on the Bulldogs' 1990 College World Series squad and are close friends.

No. 13 Louisville will conclude the Charleston Crab House Challenge against George Mason on Sunday at 11 a.m., ET and the game will be aired live on 93.9 The Ville.

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

2018 LOUISVILLE BASEBALL TICKETS
Season ticket packages as well as single game tickets for the 2018 University of Louisville baseball season are on sale now and can be purchased online at GoCards.com/bsbtickets, by phone at 502-GO-CARDS or by visiting the Louisville Cardinals Ticket Office, located near Gate 2 at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (2800 South Floyd Street) on weekdays from 9 a.m., until 5 p.m., ET.