Louisville Outlasts Butler in First Midweek Game of 2025

Playing in their first midweek contest of the young 2025 season, the Louisville baseball program came out on top against Butler in a game that saw plenty of offense, winning 15-11 on Wednesday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals (6-1) laid waste to the baseball all afternoon, with Tague Davis (2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB), Bayram Hot (2-5, HR, 3 RBI), Garret Pike (2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2B) and Zion Rose (2-5, HR, 3 RBI) all launching home runs. It marked the first time since May 17, 2024 vs. Notre Dame that Louisville had a four-homer day.

Matt Klein (0-6, RBI), Lucas Moore (3-5, RBI, 2B, BB) and Tagger Tyson (1-1, RBI, 2 BB) also drove in runs for the Cards. Jake Munroe (3-5, 3B, BB) joined Moore in having three-hit days, while UofL as a whole collected 16 base hits on the afternoon.

It made up for the fact that Louisville's pitchers largely struggled against the Bulldogs (3-4). While they struck out 13 batters, they also allowed 16 hits, seven walks and a pair of home runs. Right-hander Jack Brown (2.2 IP, 3 K, 1 BB, 4 H), plus left-handers Wyatt Danilowicz (1.0 IP, 3 K) and Ethan Eberle (1.0 IP, 2 K, 1 BB) were the only UofL pitchers of the seven used to not give up an earned run.

Louisville got the scoring started right out of the gates with a pair of runs in the first. Rose tallied an RBI groundout, then Klein followed him up with one of his own.

Getting the start on the mound for Louisville's 2025 midweek debut, left-hander Colton Hartman (2.1 IP, 3 K, 1 BB, 8 H, 6 ER) struggled in his first start of the season, giving up career-highs in both hits and earned runs.

Butler tied the game in the second, scratching across runs with an RBI double and groundout. Hot briefly gave Louisville the lead back in the bottom of the second with an RBI single of his own, but then the wheels fell off for Hartman in the third.

He allowed four base hits in the frame, including a pair of RBI singles, and was given the hook after loading the bases with one out. Fellow southpaw Jared Lessman (1.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 H, 2 ER) took over, but the Bulldogs scored on his first two pitches - one a wild pitch and the other an RBI double - to result in a third inning four-spot.

Pike cut into the deficit with a 405-foot, two-run home run in the bottom of the third, but Butler was quick to respond. They hit a two-run homer of their own in the fourth, which led to an early hook for Lessman in favor of Brown.

While Brown wasn't perfect, he was able to get them out of the fourth, then go on to pitch scoreless fifth and sixth innings. This, in turn, allowed Louisville to muscle their way back in front, as they plated 10 unanswered runs.

Rose blasted a 383-foot, two-run homer to the left field berm in the fourth, then in the fifth, Davis hit a go-ahead, two-run shot of his own that barely skirted over the right field wall while Moore added an RBI double.

The game was blown open in the sixth, with Louisville plating a quintet of runs in the frame. Tyson hit an RBI single, Davis collected a sacrifice fly, Hot launched a two-run, 367-foot homer for his first long ball of the season, and Moore scored on a fielding error.

Despite being down seven runs, Butler didn't roll over and quit. When right-hander Eli Hoyt (0.2 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 H, 2 ER) took over in the seventh, the Bulldogs scratched across a pair of runs thanks to a sac fly and wild pitch, requiring lefty Ty Starke (0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 H, 1 ER) to get the final out of the frame.

After Starke allowed a leadoff homer in the eighth, the ball was then given to Danilowicz. He was able to strike out the side in the frame, then Eberle was tasked with closing out the game, tossing a scoreless ninth.

Next up for Louisville, they'll host a three-game series against St. John's. First pitch of game one is slated for Friday, Feb. 28 at 3:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised on ACC Network Extra and broadcast on 970 WGTK.

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