The University of Louisville baseball team kicked off their series against Miami with a statement, securing a 9-5 victory in the series opener on Friday night.
Louisville (22-15, 8-8 ACC) returned to .500 in ACC play with the win, showcasing their offensive prowess against Miami (16-21, 6-13).
Leading the charge for the Cardinals was Zion Rose, who delivered a flawless 4-for-4 performance at the plate, crossing home plate twice. Dylan Hoy contributed three hits, including his third home run of the season, while Alex Alicea drove in three runs and Gavin Kilen smashed his sixth homer of the year.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the board, capitalizing on an error in the opening play of the game, followed by an RBI groundout from Isaac Humphrey in the first inning.
Miami managed to tie the game with a two-out RBI single in the second inning, but the score remained deadlocked at one until the fourth.
In a crucial moment in the fourth inning, Louisville loaded the bases with two outs for freshman Alex Alicea. After an intense battle at the plate, Alicea sent the 11th pitch of the at-bat soaring to the right-field wall, driving in all three runners.
Although Miami fought back with two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to even the score at four, Louisville quickly regained the lead. Zion Rose stepped up to the plate with runners on the corners and delivered his fourth hit of the night, driving in JT Benson, while a misplay in right field allowed Dylan Hoy to score from first.
Isaac Humphrey and Gavin Kilen extended Louisville’s lead with an RBI sacrifice fly and a solo home run, respectively, before Dylan Hoy sealed the victory with another solo homer in the ninth.
Pitcher Sebastian Gongora received a no-decision after allowing four runs (three earned) in five innings, while Kayden Campbell (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Tucker Biven closed out the game with four outs to secure his fourth save of the season.
With the series opener victory in the books, Louisville now turns its focus to game two against Miami on Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
