Cardinal Baseball Wins at Cincinnati

Mark BlankenbakerMarch 28, 2023

The eighth-ranked University of Louisville baseball team cruised to a 14-1 win at Cincinnati on Tuesday night.

Louisville (20-4) needed just seven innings to get the job done with the game called due to the mercy rule.

Jack Payton started the scoring just two batters into the ballgame, going opposite field for his fifth home run of the season. The sophomore was just getting started though.

Matt Klein and Christian Knapczyk each picked up two-out RBI singles in the second before Payton launched his second homer in as many innings to make it a 6-0 game in the second.

Louisville added another three-run homer in the third inning, this time off the bat of Eddie King Jr. The long ball was the second of the season for the outfielder.

Cincinnati (11-15) plated its only run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, but the Cardinals had plenty of answers.

Payton tallied another RBI with a bases loaded hit by pitch in the fifth to push the Cards into double digits for the 10^th time this season. Ryan McCoy then banged a long single off the left field wall to drive in two more before Brandon Anderson pushed a fourth run in the inning home with another hit by pitch.

Matt Klein got on the board with his first collegiate home run in the sixth, lining a pitch over the left field wall for his first.

Kade Grundy got the start for the Cards and allowed just one run on three hits over 3.2 innings. Riley Phillips (3-0) was outstanding out of the bullpen, striking out six of the eight batters he faced in 2.1 innings of scoreless work.

Payton matched his career high with five RBIs on the night, registering his first career multi-homer game. Klein recorded his first multi-hit game, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Anderson and King also tallied multiple hits on the night.

Louisville will now head out for its second consecutive road ACC weekend. The Cardinals travel to Raleigh, N.C. to take on NC State beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. ET