By Conner Farrell–
The no. 24 baseball team opens the first of a three game weekend series against the Indiana State Sycamores with a 3-2 walk-off win.
Entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Cards trailed 2-1.
An RBI double by sophomore first baseman Logan Wyatt scored junior second baseman Devin Mann from first to start the comeback. The next at bat, junior centerfielder Josh Stowers swung on the first pitch to drive Wyatt home to end the game on a walk-off single.
“It’s good to know that you can come back in the ninth and do that against a really good closer,” Coach Dan McDonnell said.
Junior Adam Wolf started the game and went 8.0 innings with six strikeouts allowing five hits. Wolf surrendered the first run of the game.
Sophomore pitcher Shay Smiddy took over on the mound in the eighth and picked up his fourth win of the season.
The game was knotted at zero through five innings until junior catcher Pat Rumoro broke the tie with an RBI sac fly to drive sophomore Danny Oriente home from third.
The Cardinals held the lead at 1-0 for the next three inning.
Indiana State answered as junior third baseman Jake Means belted a solo home-run to left. Wolf worked his way out of a jam in the rest of the inning for the final two strike-outs.
Indiana State took the lead in the ninth with an RBI single from RS senior first basemen Dane Giesler at 2-1.
Mann started the bottom of the ninth with a walk after falling behind 1-2 in the at bat. Wyatt drove him home on an RBI double and Stowers finished the game with a walk-off single to left.
“Those are three great at bats with Devin Mann getting a walk when he was down 1-2 in the count, Wyatt and Stowers to jump on fastballs. You know like I challenged them out there we’re good enough to do the first, third or the fifth, we just hadn’t done it much lately,” McDonnell said.
The Cards move to 28-13.
The weekend series continues April 28th at 1 p.m. at Jim Patterson Stadium.
You can follow Conner Farrell on Twitter @ConnerFarrell9.
Photo by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal
