Louisville Splits Series-Opening Doubleheader vs. North Carolina

The Cardinals move to 11-0 all-time in ACC openers.

Louisville baseball left-hander Ethan Eberle / University of Louisville Athletics

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville baseball team split a pair of games against No. 6 North Carolina on Friday in its opening games of ACC play at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Louisville (15-3, 1-1 ACC) extended its winning streak to eight with an 8-7 game in the Friday opener before taking a 6-4 loss in the nightcap.

Game one saw the Cardinals jump on top early. Lucas Moore singled leading off the first inning and scored on a balk later in the frame.

Patrick Forbes retired the first nine batters he faced, five via strikeout, and the offense added to the lead in the third. Zion Rose hammered a 1-1 breaking ball over the berm in left-centerfield with a man on to stretch the margin to 3-0.

Forbes then ran into trouble though, losing some of his command and giving up three runs in the fourth to tie the game. The Tar Heels then jumped on Brennyn Cutts for four in the fifth to lead 7-3.

Louisville answered quickly, however. Alex Alicea led off the UofL half of the fifth with a single before Rose and Matt Klein walked to load the bases. Jake Munroe then tied the game with one swing, sending a fastball to the berm for a grand slam.

Garret Pike kept the offense going with a single and eventually came around to score on a UNC throwing error, giving the Cardinals the lead back.

The Cardinals then flipped the ball to Ethan Eberle and the freshman was sensational. Eberle retired nine of the 10 batters he faced over three scoreless innings to get the game into the ninth.

Tucker Biven entered looking to close the game out, getting the first two batters before a walk and single put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on. However, Biven was able to get a groundout to end the contest and secure his first save of the season.

In the second game of the day, North Carolina (16-3, 2-3) grabbed the early lead with three runs in the opening frame.

The three runs were the only offense on the board through the first five frames before the Tar Heels extended the lead with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Louisville finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with Klein and Munroe picking up RBIs, but the Cards found themselves down 6-2 after another UNC run in the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth, Rose lifted a fly ball to right with a runner on third for a potential sacrifice fly. However, the right fielder dropped the ball and then threw the ball away attempting to get Rose at second, allowing Rose to come all the way around and score to cut the margin in half at 6-4.

After a scoreless top of the ninth, the Cardinals got the tying run to the plate twice in the bottom half but were unable to get the runs home.

Rose and Munroe each had two hits in the opener, combining to drive in six runs. Pike had multiple hits in the nightcap.

Louisville and North Carolina will have Saturday off before wrapping up the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET and will be televised on the ACC Network.

(Photo of Ethan Eberle via University of Louisville Athletics)

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