Jake Snider delivered a game-changing two-run homer while Josh Stowers had three hits and three RBI to lift the No. 7 Louisville baseball team to an 11-6 win over Radford on Friday night in the day one finale of the NCAA Regional at Jim Patterson Stadium.
The Cardinals (48-10) advance to a winner’s bracket game against Oklahoma (35-22) on Saturday at 7 p.m., ET. The Sooners opened the NCAA Regional with a 7-2 victory against Xavier on Friday afternoon. Saturday’s schedule will begin at noon with an elimination game between Radford (27-31) and Xavier.
After the Highlanders had evened the score at 6-6 in the top of the sixth, Snider pushed Louisville ahead for good in the bottom of the inning when the freshman connected for his first home sending a two-run shot over the right field wall. The blast capped a 2-for-3 night at the plate for Snider, who added a season-high three RBI to go with his first two-hit performance in just his seventh start of the season.
Stowers earned his third multi-hit performance in the last five games finishing 3-for-3 with two doubles, three RBI and two stolen bases for the Cardinals, who won their 13th straight NCAA Regional game, all at home. The sophomore outfielder was among four Louisville players with two or more hits in Friday’s victory, including sophomore Devin Mann, who was 3-for-5 with one RBI and a run scored. Senior Colin Lyman finished 2-for-4 with a double and scored twice.
On the mound, sophomore Sam Bordner had six strikeouts without allowing a hit in a career-best 3.1 innings of shutout relief to earn the victory. The righthander moved to 2-0 on the season while lowering his ERA to a miniscule 0.50 to go with 32 strikeouts in 20 appearances and 36.1 innings of work out of the bullpen.
The Cardinals struck first on Friday erupting for six runs on five hits in the third inning. Mann started the scoring with a RBI single to center to plate Logan Taylor for the 1-0 lead. After a throwing error by the Highlanders allowed Mann to score, Drew Ellis drove Brendan McKay home with a RBI sacrifice fly to center. Later in the inning, Stowers delivered a two-out, two-run double down the left field line to send Devin Hairston and Lyman home. Snider added a RBI single to right to score Stowers and cap the inning.
Radford responded to the big inning for Louisville with four runs in the fourth inning on a two-out grand slam from Adam Whitacre. Kyle Butler doubled, Matt Roth walked and Jonathan Gonzalez was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Whitacre sent a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall to cut the margin to 6-4.
The Highlanders evened the score at 6-6 in the top of the sixth inning after Whitacre continued his career night by driving both Roth and Horwitz in with a two-out triple to right field. The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the sixth with three runs to regain command at 9-6. Following a leadoff single by Stowers, Snider powered a 2-2 pitch over the right field wall for the decisive homer. Taylor followed with a bunt single, moved to second on a groundout and took third on a single from Mann before scoring the final run of the inning on a RBI groundout by McKay.
Louisville added to its lead with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Lyman doubled down the left field line before scoring the first run on a RBI double to left center by Stowers. After swiping third for his second stolen base of the game and the 21st of the season, Stowers scored the final run of the game on a throwing error by Gonzalez, the Radford catcher.
Austin Gerber took the loss for the Highlanders and dropped to 4-4 on the season after surrendering five runs, including four earned, on seven hits in 3.2 innings of relief. Neither starting pitcher figured into the decision on Friday as Louisville junior Kade McClure allowed six runs on five hits in 5.2 innings and Radford’s Danny Hrbek gave up six runs on six hits in 2.2 innings.
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Garett Wall
Assistant Sports Information Director
