No. 28 Cardinals Rally Past Panthers for Series-Clinching Win

Saturday, May 12

Pittsburgh, PA

11:00 AM

University of Louisville

36-15, 14-12-0

Pittsburgh

27-21, 11-15-0

Louisville

Pittsburgh

Photo by: Jeff Reinking | Louisville Athletics

No. 28 Cardinals Rally Past Panthers for Series-Clinching Win

May 12, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Louisville scores two in the eighth, three in the ninth for 6-5 victory at Pittsburgh

By: Garett Wall

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The No. 28 Louisville baseball team rallied for five runs in the final two innings, including three in the ninth, to earn a 6-5 series-clinching road victory against Pittsburgh on Saturday at Charles L. Cost Field.

A day after overcoming a 3-2 deficit to clinch the series opener, the Cardinals (36-15, 14-12 ACC) registered their 21st come-from-behind victory of the season and the 10th straight victory against the Panthers (27-21, 11-15 ACC) with Saturday's result. Louisville clinched its third straight series victory and will look for its second ACC series sweep of the season in Sunday's finale, which is set to begin at 11 a.m., ET.

Facing a 4-3 deficit entering the ninth inning, pinch hitter Zach Britton led off with a single up the middle against Yaya Chentouf before scoring the tying run one hitter later on a RBI triple to right center off the bat of Tyler Fitzgerald. Jake Snider followed with a RBI groundball to the shortstop to score Fitzgerald from third for the go-ahead run. Later in the inning, Louisville added an important insurance run after Logan Wyatt drove Devin Mann home with a two-out double to right field.

The comeback started in the eighth inning when the Cardinals plated a pair of two-out runs. Wyatt started the eighth inning rally with a two-out double off the right field wall before scoring the first run on a RBI double to center by Stowers. After swiping third with his 27th stolen base of the season, Stowers went home on a RBI single through the right side by Danny Oriente.

Wyatt finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, one RBI and one run scored, while Stowers was 2-of-5 with a double, two RBIs and one stolen base. Mann finished 2-for-4 and scored twice, Oriente added two hits and one RBI and Drew Campbell had two hits.

On the mound, junior righthander Liam Jenkins came out of the bullpen for two innings of scoreless relief and three strikeouts to earn his first win at Louisville. Sophomore righty Michael McAvene surrendered one run in the ninth inning to register his first collegiate save. Lefthander Nick Bennett provided the Cardinals with a quality start as the sophomore had seven strikeouts and allowed three earned runs on four hits in six innings.

The Panthers opened the scoring with a run in the first on a two-out RBI single from Ron Washington, Jr., to send Frank Maldonado home. Maldonado earned a leadoff walk to start the inning and stole second before giving Pittsburgh the 1-0 lead on Washington's base hit to left.

The advantage increased to 3-0 in the third inning on a two-out, two-run double off the bat of Nick Banman. Frank Maldonado singled and moved to third on a throwing error by the Cardinals, while Liam Sabino walked and moved to second before Banman's two-bagger to right center sent both players home.

Louisville cut into the deficit with a run in the fourth inning on a RBI single off the bat of Stowers. Mann reached base with a one-out single and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Panthers before scoring on Stowers' single to center field.

Pittsburgh increased its cushion to 4-1 in the fifth inning on a two-out, solo home run to left field by Liam Sabino. The blast was his 14th of the season. After the Cardinals erupted for five runs across the eighth and ninth innings, the Panthers plated their final run of the game in the bottom of the ninth on a two-out solo home run down the right field line by Maldonado.

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