By Conner Farrell– 

The baseball team finished their weekend three-game series with NC State by winning 8-1. The Cards won two out of the three games against the Wolfpack.

The first game of the series was the sole loss for the team in Raleigh, losing 3-1. The Cards only mustered seven hits on offense with the only run for the team coming in the sixth inning on an RBI double for shortstop Devin Hairston.

Starting pitcher Brendan McKay was accredited with the loss, his first of the season. McKay went seven innings giving up six hits and three runs.

In the second game, Louisville held off the Wolfpack in extra innings, 7-6.

The scoring on both sides came with a fast start, NC State scored their first two runs in the first two innings. The Cards responded in the third inning scoring four runs.

Catcher Colby Fitch scored two on a single. In the next at bat, second basemen Devin Mann homered to left field for two RBIs.

The following inning NC State responded with a run of their own, making the score 4-3.

The offense cooled off until the seventh when Fitch produced a solo home-run.

Hairston tacked onto the lead in the eighth with a RBI sac-fly, making the score 6-3 going into the final inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, NC State’s Joe Dunand tied the game at 6-6 with a three-run homer.

The game ended in the 10th inning after State was unable to match the final run scored by Hairston, an RBI single.

The final game of the weekend featured the Cards winning 8-1. Third baseman Drew Ellis hit a solo home-run in the second inning to ignite the scoring.

In the third inning, second baseman Mann continued his hot batting and hit a solo homer to left. McKay singled to right to score two runs. Ellis was able to score McKay from first for his second RBI of the game.

At the top of fourth, catcher Zeke Pinkham and DH Fitch each added a run, pushing the lead to 6-0.

The Cards added their last two runs in the eighth as Mann singled to left field to score one. Center fielder Logan Taylor scored on an error from NC State.

State would score their only run in the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Starting pitcher Nick Bennett got the win, pitching five innings and registering four strike-outs.

The team is back in action at Jim Patterson Stadium March 28 as they take on Western Kentucky at 6 p.m.