By Gabriel Wiest–

The Louisville Cardinals defeated East Carolina University June 8 by a combined score of 26-1 in two games. The team advances to the College World Series June 15 in Omaha.

While the Pirates were known for four pitchers with ERAs under 3.00, Louisville tallied 32 hits in the series.

Coming off an explosive June 7 14-1 win against ECU, it was clear Louisville was not going to make the same mistakes from the NCAA Regionals. Sophomore Bobby Miller shined on the mound, throwing a no-hitter through eight innings. Miller sat down five batters and only walked two on an efficient 90-pitch outing.

Louisville came into this game with the same intensity from game one. U of L scored three runs at the top of the second and third innings for an early lead.

The Cards added insurance runs by scoring another three runs in the fifth and ninth innings. Junior Drew Campbell and Justin Lavey led the way at the plate. Campbell went 3-for-5 with two RBIs while Lavey’s 3-for-3 performance added three RBIs.

For the Pirates, there was no buried treasure under the mound. They  switched pitchers six times during the game. Eight Cardinals recorded hits and four took the plate at least five times.

The Pirates at their height were only one base away from scoring a run at the bottom of the seventh.

The series marked the most runs allowed by ECU pitchers this season. In just two games the Pirates let by 32 hits, allowing Louisville plenty of opportunities to make plays.

The Cardinals will take the mound in the College World Series Saturday, June 15 in Omaha, Nebraska. Their opponent will be announced in the coming days.

File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal