The 10th-ranked University of Louisville baseball team ended its weekend series at Duke with a disappointing 4-3 loss on Sunday. This marked the third consecutive one-run loss for the Cardinals.
Louisville (26-13, 8-10 ACC) held a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning before Duke (27-12, 12-8) managed a late-game rally, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the frame to snatch the victory from the Cardinals.
Duke started strong, scoring a solo home run in the second inning. However, Louisville’s Carson Liggett managed to hold the Blue Devils to just that one run. The Cardinals came back in the fourth inning with a run-scoring double from Jack Payton, followed by Isaac Humphrey giving them the lead in the fifth inning with an RBI hit.
The score remained 2-1 until the eighth inning when Louisville increased their lead. Will Cook singled and was replaced by pinch runner Tyeler Hawkins, who stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Hawkins scored on a wild pitch, pushing Louisville’s lead to 3-1.
However, the Cardinals couldn’t maintain their advantage as Duke capitalized on three free passes and two singles in the eighth inning, ultimately securing a 4-3 victory.
Despite the loss, Carson Liggett had an impressive performance for the Cardinals, allowing only one run on four hits over 6.1 innings. The sophomore right-hander received a no-decision but has consistently allowed two or fewer earned runs in all ten of his starts this season.
Louisville will wrap up its five-game road trip on Tuesday, facing Kentucky in Lexington. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.