University of Louisville
20-5, 3-4
NC State
19-7, 4-6
Ninth-Inning Rally Downs Cards in Raleigh
March 31, 2023 | Baseball
Louisville lost 6-5 at NC State on Friday night.
Louisville (20-5, 3-4 ACC) carried a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning, but the Wolfpack struck for three runs in the final inning, including a walk-off two-run single to complete the comeback.
The Cardinals surrendered a pair of runs in the opening inning on Friday night, but starter Ryan Hawks settled in and silenced the NC State bats from there. The right-hander followed the two-run first with six scoreless innings, giving the Louisville offense the chance to get in front.
Louisville pushed its first run across in the fifth. Isaac Humphrey worked an eight-pitch walk to lead off the inning and Gavin Kilen doubled to put a pair of runners into scoring position. Christian Knapczyk then cashed in the opportunity with a groundball on the infield that plated Humphrey.
The Cards went in order in the sixth and seventh, but took advantage of the NC State reliever that started the eighth inning.
Kilen recorded his second double of the night to start the frame and Knapczyk singled to give the Cards runners on the corners. Jack Payton was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Ryan McCoy worked a walk to force the tying run home.
JT Benson then had a hit taken away by a diving play at third, however Knapczyk scored from third to give Louisville its first lead of the night. After a second fielder's choice, Eddie King Jr. extended the lead with a two-run double into the left field corner.
NC State (19-7, 4-6) got one of the runs back with a solo homer leading off the bottom of the eighth and had the tying runs on first and second with nobody out. Tate Kuehner worked out of the jam though, getting two strikeouts and a pop out to send the game to the ninth.
Knapczyk and Kilen each had two hits to lead the Cardinals. Hawks closed out the night with two runs allowed in seven innings in a no-decision effort.
Louisville and NC State continue their three-game series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on ACC Network.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: John Miralia (1-0)
L: Biven, Tucker (0-1)
Batting:
2B: King Jr., Eddie 1 ; Beard, Logan 1 ; Kilen, Gavin 2
RBI: Knapczyk, Christian 1 ; McCoy, Ryan 1 ; Benson, JT 1 ; King Jr., Eddie 2
SH: Benson, JT 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Knapczyk, Christian 1 ; McCoy, Ryan 1 ; Smith, Noah 1 ; Humphrey, Isaac 1 ; Kilen, Gavin 1
CS: Knapczyk, Christian 1
HBP: Payton, Jack 1
Batting:
2B: Chase Nixon 1
HR: Parker Nolan 1
RBI: Kalae Harrison 1 ; LuJames Groover III 2 ; Chase Nixon 1 ; Parker Nolan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kalae Harrison 1 ; Trevor Candelaria 1 ; Will Marcy 1 ; Eli Serrano III 1 ; Parker Nolan 2
CS: Eli Serrano III 1
HBP: LuJames Groover III 1
