No. 3 Seed Louisville Knocks Off No. 2 Seed Miami, 13-7
June 1, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 3 seed Louisville scored 10 unanswered runs in the last seven innings as the Cardinals rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat No. 2 seed Miami, 13-7, in the first game of the NCAA Columbia (Mo.) Regional at Taylor Stadium Friday afternoon. Roger Tomas, Yonder Alonso and Mark Sobolewski each had two hits for the Hurricanes (36-23) who had a streak of winning 10 consecutive opening round games snapped.
Derrick Alfonso (41-20) led a 15-hit Louisville attack going 5-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored. He hit one of Louisville’s three home runs. Daniel Burton went 3-for-5 with four RBI and Jorge Castillo was 1-for-5 with three RBI for the Cardinals.
Kyle Bellamy (0-1) ended up taking the loss for the Hurricanes as he allowed two runs in 1/3 of an inning and walked two. Scott Maine started for Miami, allowed seven runs, four earned on seven hits, walked two and added a strikeout. He hit four batters as Miami hit a school record six batters in the game. The six UM pitchers also combined for six walks.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Zack Pitts lasted only 1 2/3 innings giving up seven runs on eight hits. Gavin Logsdon (2-0) registered the win tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings, but Louisville’s Kyle Hollander held the Hurricanes hitless for four innings and struck out five.
Louisville snapped a tied game with two runs in the top of the fifth. Burton’s two-run single with two outs allowed Boomer Whiting and Chris Cates to score putting the Cardinals ahead, 9-7.
Isaiah Howes hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh extending the Louisville lead to 10-7. Whiting hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth to make it, 11-7. An error by the left fielder allowed another run to score to make it, 12-7. Alfonso’s RBI single in the top of the ninth made it, 13-7.
The Cardinals tied the game, 7-7, in the top of the fourth on Castillo’s three-run home run with two outs.
Miami took a 1-0 lead on Dennis Raben’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first inning. Alfonso scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the second tying the game, 1-1, for the Cardinals. Burton’s two-run single then gave Louisville a 3-1 lead in the top of the second.
Weeks three-run triple capped off a six-run second inning for the Hurricanes. Richard O’Brien hit a one-out solo home run pulling UM within, 3-2. It was his third straight game with a home run. Miami loaded the bases on Dave DiNatale’s single, Blake Tekotte’s double and Yonder Alonso’s 12th intentional walk of the season. Weeks tripled to the gap in left center to make it, 5-3. Sobolewski drove in Weeks and Menendez hit a run-scoring single giving UM a 7-3 lead.
Alfonso’s solo home run in the top of the third drew Louisville within, 7-4.
The Cardinals out-hit the Hurricanes, 15-11.
Miami now awaits the loser of the game between No. 1 seed Missouri and No. 4 seed Kent State at 2 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (CT) in an elimination game on Saturday.
