4 Home Runs Doom Cards; Fall 5-3 to Clemson

Mark BlankenbakerMay 27, 2016

The third-ranked Louisville baseball team suffered its first loss of the 2016 ACC Championship and ended its 10-game winning streak with Friday’s 5-3 decision against No. 12 Clemson at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The Cardinals (47-11) fell to 1-1 in Pool B action at the championship with the loss, while the sixth-seeded Tigers (40-18) avenged their series loss at Louisville in April and moved to 2-0 this week. The second-seeded Cardinals will conclude their preliminary schedule against seventh-ranked and third-seeded Virginia on Saturday at 7 p.m., ET.

Senior Danny Rosenbaum was 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI, while junior Colin Lyman added a pair of singles and drove in a run for the Cardinals. Junior Nick Solak chipped in with a hit and a RBI, while sophomores Devin Hairston and Brendan McKay each scored runs as Louisville lost despite out-hitting the Tigers 8-6.

Clemson made the most of those six hits connecting for four solo home runs, the most round-trippers allowed by the Cardinals this season. Reed Rohlman, who entered the day without hitting a home run in his first 57 games of the season, had two of the solo shotsFriday, while Seth Beer and Weston Wilson also homered for the Tigers.

The Cardinals struck first on Friday plating a run in the top of the second inning on a two-out RBI single by Rosenbaum against Clemson starter Clate Schmidt. McKay led off the inning with a bunt single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Hairston and advance to third on a groundout to the right side before Rosenbaum drove him home for his 37th RBI of the season.

Clemson answered in the bottom of the inning when Wilson connected for his sixth home run of the season sending a solo shot over the left field wall to even the score. Louisville moved back ahead in the third inning on a RBI groundout off the bat of Solak. After a fielding error by the Tigers put Corey Ray on base, the junior swiped second for his 39th stolen base of the season and moved to third on a flyout to center before scoring the go-ahead run.

Louisville extended the lead to 3-1 in the fourth inning on a RBI single by Lyman to score Hairston, who led off the frame with a single to left. After advancing to third on a double to left field by Rosenbaum, Hairston scored as Lyman delivered his 29th RBI of the season.

The Tigers pulled even in the fifth inning on a solo home run by Reed Rohlman and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch from Seth Beer. Rohlman started the inning by sending a 2-2 offering into the right field seats for his first homer of the season. After a single and two walks loaded the bases with one out, Beer was hit by the first pitch of his plate appearance against McKay to score K.J. Bryant from third.

Clemson gained its first lead of the game in the sixth inning when Rohlman launched for his second home run of the day sending a solo shot out to right field. The fourth and final solo home run of the day came in the seventh inning when Beer pulled his 16th homer of the season into the right field seats for the 5-3.

Schmidt moved to 8-4 on the season allowing three runs, including two earned, on eight hits with six strikeouts in a career-best 8.2 innings. After the Cardinals put two runners on base with two outs in the ninth, the Tigers turned to lefty Pat Krall, who recorded the final out of the game on a stinging liner to shortstop off the bat of Ray. It was the fifth save of the season for Krall.

McKay suffered his first loss since April 22 and dropped to 11-3 on the season surrendering four runs on five hits with four strikeouts and five walks in 5.1 innings pitched.