Left-handed pitchers continue to pose a challenge for University of Louisville hitters, the Cardinals scoreless through the first six innings. Give them time and they will eventually solve Michigan’s Brett Adcock, sidelining him for the remainder of the regional.
Devin Hairston couldn’t match the four-for-four hitting from the night before. But he still found a way to push the winning run across in the 4-3 win over Michigan, possibly putting his University of Louisville baseball team one game away from another NCAA Super Regional.
It was Hairston’s foul ball to right field in the top of the ninth and a running and diving catch by Michigan’s Johnny Slater doing the damage. Slater should have let the ball go. All Colin Lyman, running for Danny Rosembaum, had to do was tag up at third and head for home.
As a result, the Cardinals will play the winner of the Michigan-Bradley game, scheduled for noon, at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Josh Rogers will be on the mound for UofL.
Freshman Brendan McKay came within one out of completing eight innings, being lifted for reliever Drew Harrington after giving up his only walk of the game. He would allow only five base runners while giving up four hits, one of them a home run by Carmen Benedetti in the fourth inning. One runner reached on an error in the eighth when Michigan scored two runs to tie the game at 3-3 going into the ninth.
Adcock, Michigan’s starting pitcher, would allow only three hits and three walks before handing the ball over to Bryan Pall in the eighth inning. The big blow off Adcock was a two-run home run in the seventh by Danny Rosenbaum, scoring Zach Lucas who had walked.
Big game for Rosebaum, with two hits, two runs batted in and scoring another.