Cardinals Defeat Clemson 10-8 to Secure Series

Saturday, April 30

Louisville, Ky.

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

30-12, 13-7

Clemson

28-16, 6-13

Clemson

Louisville

Lelo Prado and Dan McDonnell shake hands.

Photo by: Carl Schmid | Louisville Athletics

April 30, 2022 | Baseball

Box Score PDF Box Score Dan McDonnell Postgame Video Levi Usher Postgame Video

Louisville will go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

By: Stephen Williams

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On a day in which the program recognized its first NCAA Tournament team, the 10^th-ranked University of Louisville baseball team picked up a 10-8 victory over Clemson at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Louisville (30-12, 13-7 ACC) has now won six of seven games on its homestand, which wraps up on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Cardinals celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the 2002 Louisville team that made the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

Clemson (28-16, 6-13) jumped on the board first on Saturday, plating a pair of runs in the opening frame. However, the Cards responded right back with two of their own. Cameron Masterman forced home the first run with a bases loaded walk and Logan Beard was hit by a pitch to bring home a second.

A solo home run pushed the Tigers back in front in the second, but Louisville had the answer once again.

With Ben Bianco and Ben Metzinger on first and second, Jack Payton bounced a double up against the right-centerfield wall to score both runners and give the Cards their first lead of the day. Dalton Rushing followed with a run-scoring double of his own and Levi Usher later singled into centerfield to finish off a four-run frame.

Christian Knapczyk created a run on his own in the fourth. The sophomore singled to open the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Knapczyk then swiped third and the attempt to throw him out sailed into left field to allow him to score. Masterman added another run later in the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Jack Payton.

Three runs in the fifth pulled Clemson back within two and the Tigers looked like they had a game-tying two-run homer in the seventh. However, Usher climbed the wall in centerfield and pulled back the baseball to keep the Cardinals in front.

Louisville used the momentum to its advantage in the bottom half of the inning, getting two more runs across on a triple from Beard and a Humphrey single.

Clemson brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Michael Prosecky slammed the door shut with consecutive strikeouts to finish off the win.

Metzinger and Rushing turned in multi-hit games as the Cardinals reached double digit runs for the 17^th time this season and fifth time in the last six contests.

Tate Kuehner (5-3) earned the win with three innings of work out of the bullpen. Carter Lohman pitched two strong frames of his own and Alex Galvan worked a perfect eighth.

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