Behind home runs from Corey Ray and Brendan McKay, the seventh-ranked Louisville baseball team had its highest scoring outing of the season in Tuesday night’s 16-5 win over Miami (Ohio) at Jim Patterson Stadium.
Winning for the 11th time in their last 12 outings, the Cardinals (22-7) scored the most runs in a game since a 20-10 win over Samford on March 14, 2014. Among the highlights for Louisville was scoring nine runs in the seventh for their highest scoring inning since a nine-run eighth against Elon in a 10-1 win on April 12, 2013.
Ray, a sophomore from Chicago, paced the Cardinals at the plate finishing 3-for-5 with four RBI, three runs scored, a double and a triple to go with his team-leading fourth home run of the season. A freshman from Darlington, Pa., McKay’s day included his first collegiate home run while finishing 3-of-4 with three RBI and three runs scored as all nine members of the Louisville starting lineup finished with at least one hit.
Senior Mike White (East Orange, N.J.) was 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and scored twice, while sophomore Nick Solak (Woodridge, Ill.) finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Overall, the Cardinals finished with a 17-8 advantage in hits and matched a season-high with seven doubles.
On the mound, sophomore lefthander Drew Harrington (Elizabethtown, Ky.) had seven strikeouts and did not allow a hit in three innings of shutout relief to earn the victory and improve to 3-1. In 12 appearances this season, Harrington has a 0.36 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 25.1 innings of work while opposing batters are hitting just .092 against him.
The Cardinals struck first on Tuesday plating a pair of runs in the first inning against RedHawks (4-20) starter Gus Graham on RBI triple by Ray and a RBI double from McKay. Miami answered with a three-run second inning starting with a two-run double off the bat of Gary Russo, who scored on a wild pitch later in the frame for a 3-2 edge.
Louisville pulled even in the third when Ray lined a 1-1 offering down the right field line and over the wall. An inning later, the Cardinals moved back ahead for good at 4-3 on a RBI double by freshman Devin Hairston (Lexington, Ky.). The margin increased to 7-3 in the fifth after McKay scored on a wild pitch by Miami reliever Brian Thene, freshman Ryan Summers (Westfield, Mass.) connected for a RBI double and Hairston added a RBI sacrifice fly.
Two innings later, the Cardinals erupted for nine runs on six hits in the seventh to increase the margin to 16-3. McKay started the inning by belting a 1-0 pitch over the right field wall and added an RBI single later in the frame. The inning also included a two-run double from White, a bases loaded walk to Solak, a two-run double by Ray, an RBI groundout from freshman Colby Fitch (Rocheport, Mo.) and a RBI double by freshman Blake Tiberi (Taylor Mill, Ky.).
The RedHawks plated a pair of runs in the ninth inning for the final margin. Graham was charged with the loss for Miami and dropped to 0-1 on the season after allowing four runs on eight hits in three innings.
Up next, No. 7 Louisville will travel to Charlottesville, Va., for a top 10 ACC clash against No. 9 Virginia on Saturday (4 p.m., ET), Sunday (1 p.m.) and Monday (7 p.m.,) at Davenport Field.Monday’s series finale between the Cardinals and Cavaliers will be televised on ESPNU.
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