Louisville Downs Eastern Kentucky to Win Third Straight

Hosting Eastern Kentucky for a midweek tilt, the Louisville baseball program handled their in-state foe, winning 11-5 on Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The No. 17 Cardinals (31-13, 12-9 ACC) improve to 23-2 against the Colonels (8-37, 5-16 ASUN) under head coach Dan McDonnell, and are now on a three-game win streak for the first time in roughly three weeks.

Bayram Hot (3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI) posted the first multi-homer day of his collegiate career, while Jake Munroe (1-5, 2 RBI) and Zion Rose (2-4, 2 RBI, 3B, BB) had multi-RBI days as well. Additionally, Lucas Moore (2-3, 2B, 2 BB) helped Louisville swipe eight bags with four of his own.

Louisville put their foot on the gas early, plating six in the first inning alone. Rose got the scoring started with an RBI triple, Munroe drove in a run on a groundout, as did Tague Davis (1-3, RBI, 2 BB; 0.0 IP, 2 BB) on a single, then Hot smashed a 349-foot, three-run homer.

Casen Murphy (1.0 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 1 H) tossed a scoreless frame as the Cardinals "starter," but the Colonels were able to crack the scoreboard in the second. Colton Hartman (1.0 IP, 2 K, 3 H, 3 ER) received the ball for the inning, and allowed both a two-run single and RBI double.

UofL responded to EKU's second inning barrage by scoring three unanswered themselves. In the second inning, Rose tacked on another RBI base hit and Michael Lippe (0-2, RBI, 2 BB, SF) collected a sacrifice fly, while Moore scored on a throwing error in the third.

After Jack Brown (1.0 IP, 1 K, 2 H) put up a zero in the third, Eastern Kentucky got a run back an inning later with an RBI single off of Ty Starke (1.0 IP, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 H, 1 ER). In the fifth, Eli Hoyt (1.0 IP, 1 K, 2 BB) put up a zero on the scoreboard, while Hot hit a 413-foot solo homer and Munroe collected an RBI single.

EKU certainly tried to make things interesting down the stretch. Jake Gregor (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER) gave up a sac fly in the sixth, then after Wyatt Danilowicz (1.0 IP, 3 K, 1 H) pitched a scoreless seventh, the Colonels made a charge in the eighth.

Aaron England (0.0 IP, 2 BB, 1 H) was tasked with pitching the frame, but got yanked after loading the bases with no outs. Fortunately, Brennyn Cutts (1.0 IP, 1 K) was able to get Louisville out of the jam without giving up a single run. Davis and Jake Schweitzer (1.0 IP, 1 K) then split the ninth inning to shut the door.

Next up for Louisville, they'll head up north for a weekend series with Notre Dame. First pitch of game one is slated for Thursday, May. 1 at 1:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised the ACC Network and broadcast on 93.9 The Ville.

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