University of Louisville
2-2
Xavier
2-2
Louisville Offense Erupts in Win Over Xavier
February 17, 2026 | Baseball
Louisville (2-2) pounded out 23 hits, nine for extra bases, and had 36 baserunners in the offensive outburst.
Alex Alicea and Tague Davis led the way with four hits apiece, as eight different Cardinals recorded multiple hits in the win. Lucas Moore, Bayram Hot and Kyle Campbell had three each.
All nine starters scored at least one run on the night, while eight of nine drove in multiple runs.
Louisville needed just two batters to get on the board on Tuesday. Alicea led off the game with a double and scored on a groundout from Moore.
Xavier (2-2) tied the game with a two-out double in the second, but the Cardinals exploded for seven in the bottom half.
Griffin Crain singled home Jimmy Nugent to put the Cards back in front before Alicea added two on a single. Moore followed with a ball to the berm for his first homer of the season to make it 6-1. Two batters later, Davis launched his first of the year over the batter's eye in centerfield and Jax Hisle made it back-to-back long balls with his first in a Louisville uniform.
The Cardinals led by seven after three, but the Musketeers fought back. Xavier scored five in the fourth on a pair of homers and then tied the game at nine with two two-out singles in the fifth.
The game wouldn't stay tied long though. Louisville took advantage of erratic pitching from Xavier in the bottom of the fifth, taking four consecutive bases loaded walks to move back on top as part of its second seven-run inning of the night.
The Cards went to work again two innings later. Davis, Hisle and Nugent had consecutive run-scoring hits before Crain tripled into the left field corner to plate two more. In total, 10 more batters came to the plate in the frame with six scoring.
On the mound, Ty Starke entered in the fifth and help steady the ship. The junior retired four of the six batters he faced to earn the victory. Colton Hartman recorded the final nine outs for his first career save.
Louisville will now head on the road for the first time in 2026, heading to Arlington, Texas, for the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. The Cardinals will play Nebraska, Michigan and Auburn on the weekend at Globe Life Field.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Starke, Ty (1-0)
L: Ashton Chronister (0-1)
S: Hartman, Colton (1)
Batting:
2B: Eddie Peters 1 ; Donavan Canterberry 2
HR: Josh Stonehouse 1 ; Landon Mensik 1 ; Tommy Townsend 1 ; JD Crisp 1
RBI: Luke Hammond 1 ; Josh Stonehouse 3 ; Landon Mensik 1 ; Tommy Townsend 2 ; Eddie Peters 1 ; JD Crisp 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Josh Stonehouse 1 ; Landon Mensik 1 ; Jonathan Fitz 1 ; Tommy Townsend 2 ; Eddie Peters 2 ; Donavan Canterberry 3 ; JD Crisp 1
SB: Landon Mensik 1
HBP: Peter Johnson 1
Batting:
2B: Alicea, Alex 1 ; Davis, Tague 1 ; Nugent, Jimmy 1 ; Hot, Bayram 1
3B: Moore, Lucas 1 ; Crain, Griffin 1
HR: Moore, Lucas 1 ; Davis, Tague 1 ; Hisle, Jax 1
RBI: Alicea, Alex 2 ; Moore, Lucas 3 ; Elam, Kade 2 ; Davis, Tague 3 ; Hisle, Jax 3 ; Nugent, Jimmy 2 ; Crain, Griffin 4 ; Hot, Bayram 2
SF: Elam, Kade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Alicea, Alex 3 ; Moore, Lucas 3 ; Elam, Kade 2 ; Davis, Tague 3 ; Hisle, Jax 3 ; Nugent, Jimmy 3 ; Crain, Griffin 2 ; Hot, Bayram 1 ; Campbell, Kyle 3
SB: Alicea, Alex 1 ; Campbell, Kyle 1
HBP: Moore, Lucas 1 ; Crain, Griffin 1
