Louisville Downed by Indiana to Snap Winning Streak

The Cardinals had won their last five games before falling to the Hoosiers.

Louisville baseball shortstop Alex Alicea | Jared Anderson - Louisville Cardinals On SI

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Hosting regional rival Indiana for a midweek tilt, the Louisville baseball program's late season momentum came to a screeching halt, as they suffered a 10-6 loss on Tuesday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals (26-19, 10-11 ACC) see their five-game winning streak snapped by the Hoosiers (20-25, 6-15 Big Ten), and also fall to 6-4 in standalone midweek games this seasons.

Louisville's hitters collected 10 hits and five walks, most of which came in the final four innings, and hit just 5-for-18 with runners on base. Additionally, the Cardinals' pitching staff was shellacked while their defense was porous, giving up 18 total IU baserunners and committing three errors.

Catcher Jimmy Nugent (2-3, HR, RBI, 2 BB) hit a home run, with outfielders Lucas Moore (2-4, RBI, 3B) and Zion Rose (2-4, RBI, SF) had multi-hit days. First baseman Tague Davis (0-4, RBI, SF), second baseman Kade Elam (1-2, RBI, 2B, BB) and outfielder Ben Slanker (0-3, RBI, BB) joined the aforementioned three in driving in a run.

Indiana took advantage of shaky early pitching and defense from Louisville right from the jump, plating seven runs in the first three innings of the game. Right hander Jake Bean (2.0 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 6 H, 6 ER) allowed an RBI double in the opening frame, while a pair of errors led to a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

Then after allowing a two-run single and two-run double with no outs in the third, Bean was finally pulled. Brandon Shannon (2.0 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 2 H) was tasked with tossing the frame, but not before the right-hander allowed a run to come in via a wild pitch to give the Hoosiers a five-spot.

Shannon was able to rebound with a scoreless fourth, while fellow righty Jake Schweitzer (2.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 H, 1 ER) followed that up by twirling a perfect fifth - although he would then give up a solo homer in the sixth. Louisville finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of that frame, with Nugent launching a solo homer.

The Hoosiers got that run right back, collecting an RBI double in the seventh inning off of right-hander Anthony Karbowski (1.0 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 H, 1 ER). That was then countered by a pair of sacrifice flies from Davis and Rose in the bottom of the frame.

Righty Tanner Thomas (1.0 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 H, 1 ER) allowed a leadoff home run in the eighth, but then the Cardinals started to make a charge in the bottom of the frame with a three-spot. Elam collected an RBI double, Slanker tallied an RBI groundout, while Moore drove in a triple.

Right-hander Kian Vorster (0.1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB) and left-hander Nicholas Ballard (0.2 IP) combined to put up a zero in the ninth, but Louisville's hitters could come through and put together a comeback effort.

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Next up for Louisville, they'll travel to Winston-Salem for a weekend series at Wake Forest. First pitch of game one is slated for Tuesday, Apr. 30 at 7:00 p.m. EST, and will be televised on the ACC Network and broadcast on 93.9 The Ville.

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