The 12th-ranked Louisville baseball team came from behind to clinch its season-opening series against Bowling Green with a 5-2 win in the first of two games on Saturday at Jim Patterson Stadium.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the eighth, sophomore shortstop Ryan Wright connected for an RBI single up the middle off Falcon reliever Charles Wooten to give the Cardinals their first lead of the day. Louisville pushed its advantage to the final 5-2 margin moments later as senior first baseman Andrew Clark and Wright scored on an RBI single to right by senior catcher Jeff Arnold.
Sophomore righty Derek Self came out of the bullpen for three strong innings to earn his first win of the season and improve to 8-0 in his career, while junior righty Gabriel Shaw pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of 2010. Wooten took the loss for the Falcons after allowing three runs on three hits in 1.00 inning of work. Junior lefty Dean Kiekhefer earned the start for the Cardinals and allowed only one unearned run on two hits in 5.0 innings.
The Falcons opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as shortstop Jon Berti reached and advanced to third on an error by second baseman Adam Duvall and then scored on an RBI groundout by catcher Tyler Elkins for a 1-0 lead.
Louisville came back for to even the score at 1-1 in the second inning as Arnold was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a single to center by freshman Kyle Grieshaber and scored on a throwing error by centerfielder T.J. Blanton.
Louisville came back for to even the score at 1-1 in the second inning as Arnold was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a single to center by freshman Kyle Grieshaber and scored on a throwing error by centerfielder T.J. Blanton.
Following three scoreless innings, Bowling Green regained the lead in the sixth as Berti reached on an error, advanced to third on a double by Elkins and then scored on an RBI groundout to the right side by Dennis Vaughn for a 2-1 advantage.
The Cardinals evened the scored the at 2-2 in the seventh as Arnold was hit by a pitch from Bowling Green reliever Ross Gerdeman, moved to second with stolen base, advanced to third on a balk and then scored on an RBI sacrifice fly to center by Grieshaber. That set the stage for the Cardinals’ eighth inning rally.
