No. 6 Cardinals Take Game One at No. 12 Notre Dame

Friday, March 26

Notre Dame, Ind.

4:00 PM

University of Louisville

16-5, 8-2

Notre Dame

10-4, 9-4

Louisville

Notre Dame

Alex Binelas taking a swing against Boston College.

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

March 26, 2021 | Baseball

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Alex Binelas drove in four to lead the way for the Cardinals.

By: Stephen Williams

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The sixth-ranked University of Louisville baseball team claimed a 7-4 victory in the opening game of its weekend series at No. 12 Notre Dame on Friday afternoon.

Alex Binelas homered for the second consecutive game and drove in four to lead the way for the Cardinals.

Adam Elliott (3-1) gave up just a solo home run in his three-inning stint out of the bullpen for the win. Kaleb Corbett recorded the final four outs of the day for his fourth save.

It was Notre Dame (10-4, 9-4 ACC) that jumped in front on Friday, plating a run two batters into the bottom of the first inning. Michael Kirian limited the damage to just one in the first and kept the game at 1-0 until the offense got going in the fourth.

Luke Brown and Henry Davis started the inning off with consecutive singles to put a pair on. Davis strayed too far off first base on his base hit, but the throw back to first base to retire him sailed into the dugout, allowing Brown to score and Davis to move to third. Binelas cashed in the run-scoring chance with a sacrifice fly that gave the Cardinals the lead.

Louisville (16-5, 8-2 ACC) wasn't done in the fourth though, as Cameron Masterman doubled with two away. Trey Leonard followed with a single to centerfield that brought Masterman around to make it 3-1.

Kirian worked a quick fourth and then got more cushion to work with in the fifth on Binelas' third home run of the season, a two-run missile over the right field wall.

The southpaw ran out of steam in the bottom half of the fifth though, with five consecutive batters reaching with two away. Two straight walks with the bases loaded cut the lead to 5-3 and ended the outing for Kirian. However, Adam Elliott entered the game and needed just one pitch to end the Irish threat.

Notre Dame got a leadoff homer in the eighth inning that made it a one-run game, but the Cardinals got some insurance in the ninth. Brown picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice with the infield drawn in and Binelas turned in his second sacrifice fly of the day to plate the seventh run.

Eight of the nine Louisville starters had a hit in the game with seven different players touching the plate.

The weekend series continues on Saturday as the two teams will meet for a 2 p.m. ET start.

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