By Matt Bradshaw–
No. 2 baseball (27-4) defeated No. 17 Wake Forest (23-10), 7-5. U of L won the series after losing game one and winning game two.
“Even at home, it’s tough when you’re playing a really good team like Wake Forest,” coach Dan McDonnell said. “Up and down the lineup, they can hurt you.”
Devin Hairston led the way offensively, hitting 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs. Drew Ellis went 2-for-5 with a double and RBI.
Sam Border got the win on the mound. Freshman Nick Bennett pitched the first six innings, allowing two runs and five hits with six strikeouts.
Wake Forest struck first with a three-hit second inning to take a 1-0 lead.
Louisville answered in the third when Drew Ellis drove in Logan Taylor to tie it at 1-1.
The Cards pulled away with four runs in the sixth. Ellis scored on a passed ball, Devin Mann on a wild pitch and Hairston drove in two runners to make the game 5-1.
Wake Forest closed the gap with a two-run homer in the seventh and tied the game in the eighth with runs from a fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly.
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth, Hairston hit a two-RBI double to get a 7-5 lead and win the game.
“When the lights are on, Devin Hairston is the one you want at the place,” McDonnell said.
Louisville faces Purdue at home on April 11.
Photo by Nancy Hanner/ The Louisville Cardinal
