The Louisville Cardinals extend their winning streak to six games after a thrilling battle on the diamond late Tuesday night. The Cardinals defeated their in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, 4-3 in 10 innings thanks to Eddie King Jr.'s walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th.
The Cardinals even up this historic series. Both programs have 27 wins, and Louisville has won seven of the last 10 games in Battle of the Bluegrass showdowns. Louisville improves to 25-7 on the year, as the Cardinals are currently ranked No. 11 in the nation.
The rivalry showdown on Tuesday was a gritty win for this Dan McDonnell squad, as the Cardinals had to dig deep multiple times to earn the victory. This win means more to Louisville than any other midweek baseball game, as it reminded all fans that no matter the stage or sport, the Louisville Nation hates Kentucky.
A reminder that no matter the stage or sport, Louisville Nation hates Kentucky
The Louisville pitching staff performed a gem as they struck out 12 batters and gave up just two runs in the first nine innings. The Cardinals' defense also appeared as centerfielder Lucas Moore had a SportsCenter highlight reel type of catch as he robbed a home run against the Wildcats.
T.J. Schlageter got the nod to start for the Cardinals, as he pitched just two innings and gave up the first run in the top of the second. The Cardinals immediately responded as King brought home Jake Munroe with a single. The bats then went silent until the bottom of the fifth when Zion Rose hit a single to bring Alex Alicea home and give Louisville their first lead of the game, 2-1. However, the Wildcats didn't go away; they responded at the top of the sixth and tied the game up 2-2.
The game then saw three scoreless innings, which sent it into extra innings, where the bats got hot for both teams. The Wildcats struck first in the top of the 10th, as Cole Hage brought Griffin Cameron home, put Kentucky up 3-2, and put all the pressure on McDonnell's Cardinals. However, Louisville had four walk-offs entering this game this season and showed they had been here before. Munroe secured a single off Cole Hentschel, and then King secured the Cardinal's fifth walkoff of the year as he got his second RBI of the game with a single to bring Garret Pike home for the game-winning run.
The Cardinals will now get read for their three game road series in Raleigh, N.C. against North Carolina State.