University of Louisville
14-4, 1-0
Notre Dame
12-2, 2-1
Cardinals Slug Way to Victory over No. 1 Notre Dame
March 18, 2022 | Baseball
Louisville defeated the Irish 16-11 in Friday’s series opener.
Louisville (14-4, 1-0 ACC) has now won its ACC opener in all eight seasons since joining the conference in 2015. The Cardinals have also won 11 of their last 12 games.
Notre Dame (12-2, 2-1) threw the first punch on Friday, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. The lead wouldn't last long though, as the two teams began trading run-scoring frames.
Dalton Rushing got the Cardinals on the board with a two-run double in the bottom half of the first and Levi Usher surged Louisville in front with an opposite field three-run home run.
The Irish tied the game at five with a pair of runs in the third, but the Cardinals answered in the bottom half. Isaac Humphrey put UofL in front with a run-scoring single and Ben Metzinger went back through the middle with the bases loaded to bring home two more.
Notre Dame fought back though, scoring four times in the fifth to hold a 9-8 advantage. However, Louisville once again had the answer as Christian Knapczyk dropped a double into centerfield to tie the game.
Cameron Masterman gave the Cardinals the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth, launching his sixth home run of the season. Logan Beard would then add a RBI single later in the inning.
Louisville kept adding on in the seventh, batting around and pushing five more runs across. Rushing drew a bases loaded walk and then Jack Payton broke the game open with a two-run double. Two more runs would later score as part of a Notre Dame miscue to stretch the lead out to seven.
The Irish got two runs in the eighth, but that would be all. Michael Prosecky finished off the ninth to secure the victory.
Eight different Cardinals had at least one hit, drove in a run and scored at least one. Payton and Beard were 3-for-5 each, the fifth straight multi-hit game for Payton. Knapczyk and Masterman had two hits apiece, while Rushing and Usher drove in three.
The three-game series continues on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW LOUISVILLE BASEBALL ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @LouisvilleBSB.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hawks, Ryan (3-1)
L: Caden Aoki (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Jared Miller 1 ; David LaManna 1
HR: Jack Zyska 1
RBI: Jared Miller 1 ; Carter Putz 1 ; Jack Zyska 2 ; Jack Brannigan 2 ; Brooks Coetzee 1 ; David LaManna 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Spencer Myers 2 ; Ryan Cole 1 ; Jared Miller 1 ; Carter Putz 2 ; Jack Zyska 2 ; Jack Brannigan 1 ; Brooks Coetzee 1 ; Zack Prajzner 1
SB: Spencer Myers 1
HBP: Ryan Cole 1 ; Jack Brannigan 1 ; Brooks Coetzee 2
Batting:
2B: Knapczyk, Christian 1 ; Rushing, Dalton 1 ; Payton, Jack 2 ; Beard, Logan 1
HR: Masterman, Cameron 1 ; Usher, Levi 1
RBI: Knapczyk, Christian 1 ; Metzinger, Ben 2 ; Masterman, Cameron 1 ; Rushing, Dalton 3 ; Payton, Jack 2 ; Usher, Levi 3 ; Beard, Logan 2 ; Humphrey, Isaac 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Knapczyk, Christian 2 ; Metzinger, Ben 2 ; Masterman, Cameron 2 ; Rushing, Dalton 2 ; Payton, Jack 3 ; Usher, Levi 2 ; Beard, Logan 2 ; Humphrey, Isaac 1
SB: Knapczyk, Christian 1
HBP: Knapczyk, Christian 1
