By Charlie Leffler
After picking up an ugly win against UAB on Friday evening, Louisville was looking for a little more precision in their play. What they got on Saturday afternoon was a thing of beauty as the Cards breezed to a 12-3 win.
Cardinal freshman pitcher Zach Jackson picked up his ninth win of the season.U of L started off with sizzling bats and they only got hotter as day went on. Dave Williams Jr. extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games leading off the game with a single through the left side. With two out in the first inning Mike Budak hit a line shot into the gap in left center to score two runs and give the Cardinals a 2-0.
In the second inning Ken Tirpack, Scott Gerlach and Williams hit back to back to back singles that scored Tirpack and put the Cards up 3-0. UAB then pulled starting pitcher Rusty McIntyre with two out in the bottom of the second and replaced him with right-hander Tony Falls to close out the inning.
But it was in the sixth inning that things really heated up. UAB’s Kyle Leon got to base on four straight balls from Jackson and a bunt by Chad House moved gave the Blazers a man at first and second. Then with one out Seth Rollin sent a deep shot into left that was fielded by Louisville’s Josh Bolen who made the throw to home where Tirpack tagged out Leon as he crossed the plate. Home plate umpire Mike Wallace made the close call and UAB coach Larry Giangrosso flew into a rage. Charging the umpire, Giangrosso was ejected but still let loose a tirade of explicatives that not even the music coming over the Cardinal Stadium speakers could muffle. As Giangrosso continued to hound Wallace third base umpire David Wiley entered the fray and he too got in a shouting match with the coach. With Wallace and Wiley both declaring the coach ejected. It finally took first base umpire Dan O’Connell to settle things down and force Giangrosso to leave the field.
Yet, when Louisville took to the plate the fireworks only appeared to be getting started. With one man out, Gerlach punched a single bunt up the third base line the stayed fair as UAB’s Matt Gaulden walked along side it. A single by Williams advanced the runners and a hopper to short by J.T. LaFountain loaded the bases.
After going hitless against the Blazers on Friday evening, sophomore Mark Jurich was looking to make amends and he did so in a big way. The rightfielder had walked in his two previous at bats so he was looking to make contact with the ball for once. And did he ever. Jurich drilled a deep fly into left center midway up in the stands past the 340 marker for his first career grand slam and 15th homer of the year.
But the fireworks were still not over when Morgan Bojorquez stepped to the plate next and hit his 14th homer of the year to give the Cards an 8-0 lead. It was the first time since April 16, 2000 that Louisville had hit back-to-back home runs.
Following a single by Bolen, the Blazers pulled Falls and replaced him with righty Ryan Huffman who closed out the inning.
In the top of the seventh UAB’s Pete Giangrosso walked and Mitch Jones nailed a shot over the left field wall into the Blazer bullpen to trim the Cardinal lead to 8-2. Lyon then nailed a shot over the right field wall for the Blazer’s third run and Jackson was pulled and replaced by right-hander William McKenzie who closed out the inning.
After Louisville loaded bases once again in the bottom of the seventh, the Blazers pulled Huffman and sent in right-hander Kevin Brannon who allowed Jurich to hit into a double play to close out the inning.
Then in the bottom of the eighth Brannon was pulled and Cody Cillo took the mound. Yet with two out, Budak hit his seventh homer of the year to right to put U of L up 9-3. Junior Dan Cunningham then entered the game for the first time and the first pitch from Cillo was so far off target it went behind the batter. Cunningham was awarded first base and the umpire warned both dugouts.
A single by Tirpack advanced the runners and when Cillo threw a wild pitch to Gerlach the runners moved again. On another wild pitch Cunningham trotted in to put Louisville up 10-3. Gerlach then hit a double to left and Tirpack pushed U of L ahead 11-3.
Freshman William Shelton came into the game and was immediately walked but not before Gerlach moved on to third on yet another wild pitch by Cillo. After a LaFountain single to center scored Gerlach the UAB coaching staff had seen enough and pulled Cillo for Andre Parks, the Blazers’ fifth pitcher on the day. U of L’s Grant Williams came in for clean up in the ninth and sealed the win. Louisville(34-13, 18-8) has won five straight and eight of its last nine, edging closer to the school record of 38 wins in a season, set in 1980.
Jackson(9-1) extended his Louisville freshman record with his ninth win, and sits behind Scott Reburn’s 10 wins in ’94, at second place on the all-time single season win list.
Jackson tossed 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and six walks, striking out two.
McKenzie gave up one hit in 1.2 innings, and Grant Williams walked one and struck out one in the ninth.
Gerlach had a career high four hits, while Tirpack and Williams Jr. each had three safeties and scored twice. Budak, who was 2 for 5 and drove in three has hit safely in 11 consecutive games.
Before Bojorquez’ solo home run in the sixth, the Cards had hit nine straight home runs with men on base, including the grand slams by Jurich, and Bojorquez on Wednesday at Evansville. Bojorquez has homered in five of his last six ball games.
The Cardinals will meet UAB for the final game of the series Sunday at Cardinal Stadium beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET, looking for its fourth series sweep of the season. Admission is free.
