Louisville Downs Michigan State in Series Finale

The Louisville baseball program might have dropped their season-opening series against Michigan State, but they were at least able to avoid the sweep, winning 9-1 in game three on Sunday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The No. 8 Cardinals (1-2) clinch their first win of the season after being out-scored by 10 by the Spartans (2-1) over the first two games of the three-game series. UofL lost 4-3 on Opening Day, then were drubbed 13-4 yesterday.

Alex Alicea (3-4, 2 RBI, 2B, SB), Kade Elam (2-4, RBI, BB) and Lucas Moore (3-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB) all logged multi-hit days as part of a 13-hit team effort. Every starter reached base, six Cards drove in runs and five stole bases.

Making his first start at the collegiate level after being a go-to reliever last season, Wyatt Danilowicz (6.0 IP, 9 K, 1 BB, 2 H) posted the best start of the weekend by a Louisville pitcher by far. The right-hander didn't allow a base runner until the third, and set career marks in strikeouts and innings pitched (80).

Danilowicz's quality start on the mound was backed up by a fast start at the plate by the Cards, plating three in the first and two in the second.

Ben Slanker (0-3, RBI, 2 BB) got the scoring started with an RBI off a fielding error, then Elam added an RBI single and Tague Davis (1-5, RBI) drove in Slanker on a fielder's choice. In the second, Bayram Hot (1-5) scored on a wild pitch and Moore collected his first base hit of the season with an RBI single.

Louisville got plenty of insurance runs down the stretch following their early outburst. Griffin Crain (1-1, RBI, BB, SB) added an RBI single in fifth, as did Moore in the sixth, then Alicea added a two-run single in the seventh.

Additionally, the bullpen got the job done in the late innings after Danilowicz's day was done. Right-hander Brandon Shannon (1.0 IP, 1 K, 1 BB) put up a zero in the seventh for his collegiate debut, then fellow righty Kian Vorster (0.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 H, 1 ER) and left-hander Aaron England (1.2 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 H) split the eighth, with the former allowing an RBI groundout to break the shutout. England went back out in the ninth, putting up a zero to shut the door.

Next up for Louisville, they'll play their first midweek game of the season and host Xavier at Jim Patterson Stadium. First pitch is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 3:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised on ACC Network Extra and broadcast on 970 WGTX.