Louisville's Isaac Humphrey Earns Redemption with Walk-Off Series Winner

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In the words of Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, baseball is a game that gives you opportunities. It's tough game that will beat you down, cause you to struggle and sometimes fail, but one that will always give you the opportunity to bounce back.

Isaac Humphrey certainly learned this lesson in the Cardinals' weekend series against No. 20 North Carolina.

After the Tar Heels took game one of the three-game series on Friday, No. 4 Louisville was on the verge of capturing Saturday's game two. UNC had two runners on base in a two-run game with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Alberto Osuna struck what would be the game-ending fly ball directly to Humphrey in right field.

Except the sophomore outfielder couldn't make the play.

Assisted by the choppy winds, the baseball struck Humphrey's glove directly in the palm, and bounced right out. The error would cause both UNC baserunners to score, tying the game up at eight runs a piece. Louisville kept UNC from further scoring, could not respond in the bottom of the ninth, prompting extra innings.

"Right when he made error, I looked at (second baseman) Logan (Beard) from across the field and I yelled to pick him up, keep his head up out there," third baseman Ben Metzinger said. "Because it's important. We still have the leading runner on second, we can't let that score so that he can have another play, and pick him up in the dugout."

Humphrey's teammates rallied around him, and Louisville was able to salvage the win in the tenth inning. Closer Michael Prosecky tossed a scoreless top of the tenth, then Metzinger launched a leadoff walk-off home run in the bottom of the frame to even up the series.

While Humphrey narrowly avoided becoming the scapegoat for a series loss, he was still very much shaken up because of his blunder. He continued to received support from his teammates afterwards, including from McDonnell himself.

"I told Isaac that one play is not the reason you win or lose, it just gets recognized because of what time it happens," he said. "We addressed it, we talked about some things this morning, and I did honestly believe it'll be a blessing. You're you're going to come out better, and as a team, we're going to come out better."

Baseball had beaten down Humphrey, but like McDonnell said, it also gave him the opportunity to earn redemption.

The next day in the game three rubber match against North Carolina, Humphrey took advantage of the opportunity. The Calhoun, Ky. product gave Louisville their first run of the in the bottom of the second on a RBI single through the right side of the infield, immediately countering a solo home run struck by UNC in the top of the inning.

He would reach base just once in his next five plate appearances, including a bases loaded groundout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Louisville had just mounted a four-run rally to tie the game, and a base hit would have won the game.

Five innings later, another golden opportunity presented itself, and this time, he didn't let it slip away.

With no outs in the bottom of the 14th, and the bases loaded yet again, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder launched a ball down the right field line. Mere inches away from a grand slam, the ball bounced off the top of the outfield wall and onto the turf of Jim Patterson Stadium for a single that not only walked off the Tar Heels, but secured a big time ACC series victory.

"It doesn't surprise me in the least that he came back and he's the hero, if you call it that," McDonnell said. "I think the first ball of the game might have been hit to him, or at least in the first inning. He made a really nice catch, and everybody in the dugout just kind of smiled and said, 'that's baseball'."

Through Louisville's 31 games, Humphrey is batting .319 with three home runs, 19 RBI, 26 walks and eight stolen bases. The Cardinals currently sit at 23-8 on the season, and will be back in action Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. to host rival Cincinnati at Jim Patterson Stadium.

(Photo of Isaac Humphrey: Jared Anderson - State of Louisville)

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