May 30,
2009
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Cardiac Cards Edge Blue Raiders
By Jimmy Jones
Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com
LOUISVILLE, Ky.
– The Louisville Cardinals are in the driver’s seat of their
regional tournament after a thrilling 3-2 come-from-behind win
over Middle Tennessee Saturday night in front of another
capacity crowd at Jim Patterson Stadium.
The Blue Raiders (44-17) led throughout the game, but Louisville
(46-15) scored two clutch runs, one in the eighth to tie and the
winning run in the top of the ninth to advance to the
championship game.
 Blue Raiders pitcher Bryce Brentz and Cardinals left-hander Dean
Kiekhefer (right) very quickly put an end to the notion that this would
be a high-scoring affair with well-pitched games on both sides
of the chalk lines.
MTSU got on the board in the first inning on a base hit by
Nathan Hines, who eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Brentz
for a 1-0 lead that would stand until the fourth.
Louisville put its first run on the board in the sixth when a
double by first baseman Andrew Clark plated Josh Richmond from
third to close the gap to 2-1.
The Cardinals tied the score at 2 on a towering leadoff home run
by Richmond on a 3-2 count in the eighth, a shot that he stood
and admired until it landed far into the night over the
left-field bleachers.
The Cardinals Phil Wunderlich led off the ninth with a walk and
eventually moved to third with one out.
A failed suicide squeeze bunt by Drew Haynes that was just foul
prompted a pitchout on the next pitch with Wunderlich taking a
big lead at third.
Blue Raiders catcher Drew Robertson attempted to pick off a
scrambling Wunderlich, but his throw was wild and allowed the
Cardinals to take the lead and account for the final score.
“It got down to something big was going to happen,” MTSU coach
Steve Peterson said. “Bryce threw really well and their guys
matched him up. Their relief guy came in and we just could not
pick up his change-up. It’s unfortunate that Drew threw the ball
away there, but he thought he had an out.
“It was a heck of a ball game, and I have to take my hat off to
Louisville. They have a very good ball team.”
 Brentz
(left) had a no-decision with 7.2 innings of work. He allowed
six hits and two runs. He struck out six.
Junior Coty Woods (4-3) took the loss after allowing one run on
two hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Derek Self (7-0) picked up the win on the mound for the
Cardinals. He allowed no runs or hits in three innings of work.
Middle Tennessee will play Vanderbilt in an elimination game at
2 p.m. on Sunday.
Louisville awaits the winner at 7 p.m.
(photos by Jimmy Jones) |
