Louisville Starts Fast, Explodes Late to Run-Rule Florida State in Rubber Match

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Capping off their weekend series vs. Florida State with the rubber match, the Louisville baseball program earned a massive victory, winning 14-2 in seven innings on Sunday at Jim Patterson Stadium to capture the series.

The No. 19 Cardinals (30-13, 12-9 ACC) not only scored five runs in the first inning, they scored nine in the sixth and seventh combined. Lucas Moore (2-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI), who launched two homers as part of a four-home run day, belted a walk-off grand slam.

They get back in the series win column after dropping their last two series, and capture their first series win against the No. 4 Seminoles (31-9, 12-6 ACC) since 2021. Louisville also moves to 4-2 in ACC rubber matches this season.

Eddie King Jr. (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB) and Zion Rose (2-3, HR, RBI, BB) joined Moore in hitting home runs, with the trio all hitting long balls in the opening frame of the game. Michael Lippe (2-3, RBI, BB), Collin Mowry (2-4, RBI, 2B) and Kamau Neighbors (2-3, 2 RBI, BB) joined Moore and Rose in having multi-hit days as well.

Moore got the scoring started by blasting a 397-foot, two-run homer, then Rose went back-to-back with a 418-foot solo shot. Two batters later in the first, King sent a ball 384 feet for two more runs.

Two years to the day since his first collegiate start, Tucker Biven (2.1 IP, 0 K, 3 BB, 4 H, 2 ER) gave the Cardinals a pair of scoreless innings right out of the gate. A two-run double in the third chased him out of the game, but then T.J. Schlageter (3.2 IP, 1 K, 2 H) proceeded to post three straight zeroes himself. Brennyn Cutts (1.0 IP) would then go on to toss a perfect seventh.

Following the opening fireworks, Louisville's hitters had some trouble keeping that momentum up, generating just two base runners over the next four innings. They were able jump back on the scoreboard in the sixth, with Neighbors hitting a two-run single for some insurance.

The insurance then snowballed to run-rule territory in the seventh, and resulted in seven runs coming across in the frame. Rose scored on a wild pitch, Lippe legged out an RBI triple, Mowry collected an RBI single, then Moore hit his walk-off blast.

Next up for Louisville, they'll host Eastern Kentucky for a midweek tilt. First pitch is slated for Tuesday, Apr. 29 at 6:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised on ACC Network Extra and broadcast on 93.9 The Ville.

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