The eighth-ranked University of Louisville baseball team emerged victorious in a thrilling 7-2 series finale against No. 2 Wake Forest on Sunday at Jim Patterson Stadium. This win improved Louisville’s record to 26-9 (8-7 ACC) and marked their 58th ACC finale victory since joining the league in 2015.
Wake Forest (31-5, 14-3) initially held a 2-0 lead, scoring a run in the first inning and a solo home run in the sixth. However, the tide turned in the bottom of the sixth when Louisville’s offense sprung into action.
Following a walk and a single, JT Benson stepped up to the plate with runners on the corners and one out. Benson’s third home run of the season found the berm in left-centerfield, giving Louisville a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals’ momentum continued as they loaded the bases without a ball leaving the infield, followed by consecutive hit-by-pitches that drove in two more runs.
Wake Forest threatened to score in the seventh with two outs and the tying runs in scoring position, but Louisville’s Tate Kuehner struck out the batter, ending the scoring threat. Louisville added two more runs in the seventh with RBIs from Will Cook and Eddie King Jr., and Kuehner maintained control for the rest of the game.
Kuehner (2-0) pitched the final 3.1 innings without allowing a run, earning the victory and striking out five in the process. Carson Liggett gave up just two runs over 5.2 innings in a no-decision effort.
Benson led the Cardinals with a 3-for-4 performance and three RBIs, while Christian Knapczyk extended his hitting streak to nine games, going 2-for-5.
The Louisville baseball team will hit the road for the next five games, starting with a match against Indiana on Tuesday night. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET in Bloomington.