By Micah Brown–
In their first game ranked as the top team in the country, No. 1 baseball (16-0, 3-0) defeated Xavier 13-4.
The Cards started off the game by surrendering three runs to the Musketeers (7-10) in the second inning. Louisville cut the lead to 3-2 with RBIs from juniors Brendan McKay and Drew Ellis.
The Cards singled three times to start off the fifth inning, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Senior Collin Lyman put Louisville ahead with a two-RBI single, driving in juniors Colby Fitch and Devin Hairston.
The Cardinals blew the game open in the seventh inning. Three wild pitches by Xavier’s Taylor Williams allowed Louisville to score three runs. Hairston doubled and singled in the inning, driving in two runs. The junior improved his batting average to .387, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs and scoring three runs.
Junior Rabon Martin (2-0) was the winning pitcher for the Cards, surrendering one earned run over 2.1 innings with five strikeouts and just one walk. The bullpen closed the door on Xavier as they held the Musketeers hitless and scoreless for the final four innings, striking out three and walking three.
Louisville starts a series against Boston College March 17 at Jim Patterson at 6 p.m.
Photo by Karen Nguyen / The Louisville Cardinal
