Louisville Falls in Regular Season Finale, Eliminated From ACC Tournament

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
FSU	0	0	1	0	2	2	0	1	0	6	9	3
UL	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	5	0

W: Conner Whitaker (5-6), L: Carson Liggett (7-2)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Needing an NC State win over Pitt and a victory in their rubber match against Florida State to extend their season, the Louisville baseball program was unable to take care of their own business, falling 6-2 in their regular season finale Saturday at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Not only do the Cardinals (31-24, 10-20 ACC) drop their season-ending series against the Seminoles (23-31, 9-21 ACC), the loss officially eliminates them from making the ACC Baseball Championship next week.

Louisville began the season at 18-2 and ranked as high as the No. 2 team in the nation, only to lose 22 of their last 35 games of the season and play their way out of an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. It marks the first time since 1970 that Louisville has not clinched a spot their conference tournament. The Cardinals also miss the Big Dance for the second time in three years.

UofL did crack the scoreboard first with an RBI single from Gavin Kilen (2-2, RBI, BB) in the second, but like in game two, their offense struggled for much of the afternoon. Kilen was the only Cardinal to have a multi-hit game, with he, Brandon Anderson (1-3, 2B, BB) and Ryan McCoy (0-2, 2 BB) being the only ones to reach base multiple times without the aid of an FSU defensive error.

Like the night before, Florida State took advantage of this offensive stagnation. Cardinals starting pitcher Carson Liggett (5.1 IP, 6 K, 2 BB, 7 H, 5 ER) allowed a game-tying RBI double in the third, then his command started to waiver in the middle innings.

The Noles collected a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth, the chased Liggett out in the sixth after he gave up another RBI double. Kayden Campbell (0.2 IP, 1 K, 1 B, 1 H) was the first reliever out of the bullpen, but FSU collected an RBI single off of him in the frame as well.

Base running blunders in the fourth and fifth killed potential rallies for Louisville, but they finally got back on the board in the sixth after an FSU defensive error allowed J.T. Benson (1-4, 3B) to score after he had struck a triple.

Tucker Biven (1.1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 H, 1 ER) twirled a scoreless seventh, but Florida State got a run back in the eighth off of him courtesy of an RBI double. Riley Phillips (1.2 IP, 1 K) rebounded for a scoreless ninth to give the offense one last gasp, but they were unable to capitalize.

(Photo via Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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