RICHMOND, Ky. – Freshman Breck Norment went 2-for-4 with two runs scored but it wasn't enough as the Eastern Kentucky baseball team fell to the Louisville Cardinals 7-4 on Wednesday afternoon at Turkey Hughes Field. Eastern falls to 9-8-1, while Louisville improves to 14-7.
The Cardinals jumped on top with a run in the first against EKU starter McKenzie Willoughby as Boomer Whiting led off with an infield single and then came around to score on a triple to dead-center by Logan Johnson. Willoughby then walked Daniel Burton before striking out the next three hitters to get out of further trouble.
Eastern rallied back though with two unearned runs in the third. Norment led off with a single, bringing up sophomore Frank Krailler who laid down a sacrifice bunt that Cardinal first baseman Daniel Burton threw away to put runners on second and third. Junior Tyler Barnett then bounced one in front of the plate which Louisville catcher Derrick Alfonso pounced on, holding the runners and throwing Barnett out on first. Senior Shawn Flora followed with an infield single to tie the score at one and Davis then gave Eastern the lead with sacrifice fly to right.
Louisville took the lead for good in the fifth putting runners on first and second with two outs against EKU reliever David Owens. Justin McClanahan then smashed a three-run home run over the left field fence to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.
The Colonels tacked on an another unearned run in the bottom of the inning as Barnett reached on an error with two outs and then came around to score when Cardinal left fielder Isaiah Howes misplayed a towering fly off the bat of Flora.
Howes redeemed himself in the sixth though, leading off with a home run to right-center field to put Louisville up 6-4. But Eastern drew within a run again in the seventh as Norment tripled to begin the inning and came home on a single through the right side by Barnett. The Cardinals tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth on an RBI double from Jorge Castillo and a run-scoring single from Chris Cates.
Meade picked up the victory for Louisville, allowed three unearned runs and two hits in 5.0 innings. Owens took his first loss of the season, giving up four runs in an inning of work. Freshman Jim Clancy extended his scoreless innings streak to eight, allowing just two hits in 3.0 innings of relief work.
The Colonels return to action on Saturday, March 21, hosting Morehead State. The doubleheader, which will kick off a three-game series, begins at noon.
