LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team fell to the Louisville Cardinals Wednesday, 13-5. Helped along by two costly Colonel errors, the Cardinals scored six runs in the bottom of the second, all of them unearned, and EKU was never able to recover. With the loss, the Colonels drop to 4-2-1, while Louisville improves to 5-3.

“We didn’t make plays in key situations,” head coach Elvis Dominguez said. “And you can’t do that against a good ballclub like Louisville.”

Starter Chris Grider was pulled after the second, and Colonel relievers Patrick Cooper and Chris Hord held the Cardinals scoreless in the third and fourth. During that time, the Colonels were able to tack on two runs, one off an RBI groundout by senior Joe Oliver in the third, and the other off a solo shot to left by junior Tyler Rehmel in the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, however, Louisville first baseman Andre Clark drilled a three run home run to center, putting the Cardinals up 9-2 and stifling any hope of a Colonel comeback.

Grider went just two innings, giving up six unearned runs on four hits, and picked up the loss. After Grider, the Colonels put a new pitcher on the mound every inning. Cooper and Hord pitched scoreless innings in the third and fourth. Freshman right-hander Matt Fyffe arrived in the fifth and allowed three runs on two hits, one of them being Clark’s three run shot. In the sixth, junior David Owens made his season debut, allowing no runs on just one hit. Sophomore Jim Clancy worked the seventh for the Colonels, giving up two runs on three hits. And senior McKenzie Willoughby pitched the eighth, also allowing two runs on three hits.

In all, eight of Louisville’s 13 runs were unearned.

At the plate, the Colonels were led by freshman Jayson Langfels, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Freshman Ryan Faidley went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, and Rehmel contributed with the solo home run.

Louisville starter Dean Kiekhefer got the win for the Cardinals, going six innings and allowing just two runs on four hits.

The Cardinals were led offensively by Clark, who went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Second-baseman Justin McClanahan also chipped in, collecting four hits on five trips to the plate, along with two RBIs and two runs scored. Preseason Big East Player of the Year Chris Dominguez went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and a tape measure home run to left in the bottom of the seventh.

The Colonels return to action against Central Michigan on Saturday as they travel to Bradenton, Fla. to play in the Florida All Star Baseball Challenge. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.