Louisville Defeats Miami in Game Three, Punches Ticket to College World Series

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville baseball program is officially heading back to the College World Series.

Squaring off with Miami in game three of the Louisville Super Regional, the Cardinals came out on top in the winner-take-all showdown, toppling the Hurricanes 3-2 on Sunday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Louisville (40-22, 15-15 ACC), who won game one on Friday before dropping game two to Miami (35-27, 15-14 ACC) on Saturday, clinches their sixth College World Series berth in program history, and first since 2019. They also secure their first 40-win season since 2022.

Left-hander Ethan Eberle (5.0 IP, 3 K, 6 H, 2 ER), a week removed from tossing a gem vs. Wright State that helped clinched a berth in the Supers, played a big role in helping Louisville punch their ticket to Omaha. While the strikeout pitch wasn't super efficient, he still did a solid job at limiting traffic on the base paths.

Backing him up, right-hander Jake Schweitzer (3.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 H), left-hander Justin West (0.2 IP, 2 K, 2 BB) and righty Brennyn Cutts (0.1 IP) combined to put up four innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen. In total, despite the pitching staff allowing a combined 12 base runners, just four reached scoring position - and none of those four scored.

It made up for the fact that the Cardinals squandered multiple opportunities. Despite out-hitting The U, they posted seven strikeouts to three walks, hit 4-for-15 with runners on base, and 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

However, they made just enough plays offensively to punch their ticket to Omaha. Eddie King Jr. (1-3, RBI, 2B, BB) struck a go-ahead two-out double in the seventh, while Zion Rose (1-4, RBI, 2B) and Bayram Hot (1-3, RBI) drove in the other two runs. Tague Davis (2-4) Jake Munroe (2-3) also had multi-hit days.

Miami jumped on the scoreboard first in electric fashion, with left fielder Max Galvin collecting a two-run home run off of Eberle in the third. An inning later, Louisville was able to tie the game thanks to an RBI double from Rose and a fielder's choice from Hot.

The Cardinals had big time chances to do some serious damage in the middle innings, but couldn't capitalize. With runners on the corners and one out in the fourth, the fielder's choice RBI was the only run generated from that situation, while they stranded the bases loaded with one out in the fifth.

Conversely, the Canes also squandered a similar situation in the sixth. After Eberle allowed a leadoff single, Schweitzer came into replace him. Despite proceeding to load the bases with one out, a clutch 1-2-3 double play got them out of the frame.

Following another scoreless frame in the seventh, Louisville's bats finally woke back up in the bottom of the frame. Facing two outs and a runner on second, King struck a ball to shallow center field, and Miami center fielder Michael Torres could not make the diving play, allowing Munroe to scamper home.

While UofL stranded a pair of runners in the eighth to waste a chance at putting up insurance runs, the bullpen carried them to the finish line. Schweizter put up a scoreless eighth, then after West got the first two outs of the ninth but worked him into a two-runner jam, Cutts came in and secured the final out.

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