By Chris O’Grady
The University of Louisville baseball team got its 2010 season off to a good start, wrapping up a three-game sweep of the Bowling Green State University Falcons with two victories in a Feb. 20 double-header.
The Cardinals easily took the Feb. 19 season opener, 13-1. In their first game without former pitcher Justin Marks and third baseman Chris Dominguez, the Cards showed that they still have the talent to repeat, especially in the pitching department.
“I was a little nervous stepping into the shoes of Justin Marks at the Friday starter, but I feel like I did a solid job today,” said junior right-handed pitcher Thomas Royse. “I know that I have a great offensive lineup behind me and a strong pitching staff around me, so that makes my job a lot easier.”
Head coach Dan McDonnell was hoping his team’s strong performance wouldn’t go to their heads.
“This was definitely a complete game and it started with Thomas setting the tone on the mound for the pitching staff,” said McDonnell. “We realize it’s not going to be like that every time we play. But as a coach, it’s always my goal for us to have a complete game like that. It’s a great way to start out the season and, hopefully, we realize we start 0-0 tomorrow.”
McDonnell didn’t quite get his wish, as the Cards battled hard for wins. The series finale was scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 21, but imminent weather problems forced the teams into a Saturday double-header. The Cards won the first game, 5-2, behind strong pitching and a 3-run eighth inning. The second game was an 8-7 comeback win that took 10 innings.
Game one starting pitcher, junior left-hander Dean Kiekhefer, gave the team five strong innings with no earned runs. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Derek Self earned the win in three innings of relief, and junior closer Gabriel Shaw got his first save of the season, with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Bowling Green State reliever Charles Wooten took the loss for the Falcons.
The game was tied 2-2, until the Cards took to bat in the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore shortstop Ryan Wright singled home senior second baseman Adam Duvall. After an intentional walk of junior third baseman Phil Wunderlich, senior catcher Jeff Arnold knocked in two, to put the Cards up 5-2.
Bowling Green State shortstop Jon Berti went 1-for-4 and scored both of the Falcons’ runs in game one, neither of which were earned.
In the nightcap, the team was forced to mount a spectacular comeback, after sophomore right-handed pitcher Tony Zych was not able to get an out. He allowed seven runs on six hits in the first inning. After seven batters, McDonnell turned the ball over to junior right-handed pitcher Neil Holland, who gave the Cards five innings of scoreless relief.
“Being down 7-0 in the first inning was a tough spot for us, but we know we have a lot of talent on this team and we didn’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves to do too much,” said Wright. “On the game-winning hit, I was supposed to bunt. So I guess it’s a good thing I messed that up on the first pitch. I figured they would be expecting me to bunt again and would lay a fastball down the middle, so I was sitting fastball and hit it well.”
U of L responded in the bottom of the first with a solo home run over the left-field fence by Duvall, off Bowling Green State starter Kevin Leady. This was the Cards’ first home run of the season. Outstanding relief from Holland and junior left-hander Bob Revesz allowed the Cards to chip away at the lead, until they were finally able to crack it in the bottom of the sixth.
After starting the inning with three consecutive singles, the Cards got a big two-run double off the left-center fence from Wunderlich, to tie the game at 7-7.
In the top of the ninth the Falcons threatened, after Bowling Green’s Ryan Schlater doubled, breaking Cardinal pitchers’ streak of 23 consecutive batters retired. But Shaw returned to stop the bleeding, striking out Falcon leftfielder Clay Duncan.
Shaw pitched the top of the tenth, allowing two hits but no runs, setting the stage for the offense in the bottom half of the inning. Back to back singles from Duvall and senior first baseman Andrew Clark set the table for Wright’s walk-off ground rule double off Bowling Green State reliever Cody Apthorpe. Apthorpe was the eighth pitcher used on the day by Falcon head coach Danny Schmitz.
Duvall was 2-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs and junior outfielder Drew Haynes was 4-for-5 with an RBI for the Cards offensively.
Though the Cards faced some rough patches in their performances during the weekend, McDonnell was pleased with the variety he saw and the overall effort his team gave, both in positive and negative situations.
“For the fans and our team, we had a little bit of everything this weekend—with a game we took command of early yesterday, a game that was very tight earlier today, and a game where we fell behind big early and came back to win,” said McDonnell. “It’s great to get wins and it’s great to learn about your team while you’re getting wins. I’m pleased that we got the wins, but we know there are a lot of areas where we must improve.”
The Cards play Morehead State University on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at Jim Patterson Stadium. After that they will head to Florida for the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, where they will face the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota.
