Four hours and six minutes after the opening pitch, many of the 4,444 fans were still hanging around for the University of Louisville vs. Kentucky baseball showdown. A long, long game with lots of hits mixed with lots of walks and errors. The kind of game that tests the loyalty of any baseball fan, seemingly going on forever.
The long ordeal was well worth it for Louisville fans who stuck around, with UofL defeating UK 14-10 to earn a split in the rivalry this season.
The Cardinals wanted this one badly, needing a win over their rival to boost their hopes for post season competition. The odds are pretty long with Louisville plodding along with an won-lost record of 23-18 overall and 7-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Pretty similar to last season before the Cardinals turned things around and earned their sixth trip to the College World Series in Omaha.
The Cardinals came ready to play, racing to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. They regained the lead for keeps with a big five-run seventh inning. Zion Rose gave the Cards the lead back with a leadoff home run. Bayram Hot hit a two-run homer later in the inning before a run-scoring single from Kade Elam and a Zach Davis sacrifice fly.
Zion Rose coming back to life with two much needed hits, including a double and a home run. But my goodness, did he injure his ankle again on his last at bat. Enough misery already.
As Mom just declared, “A win over UK was the shot this city needed.”
Coach Dan McDonnell, now in his 20th season at UofL, has been here before. A good win at just the right time can provide some much-needed momentum as the season enters the stretch.
