Chad Green Pitches Louisville To Victory

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Junior right-hander Chad Green pitched six strong innings while the offense erupted for its fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season as the fourth-ranked Louisville baseball team earned a 14-2 series-opening win over Kent State on Friday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Green (Effingham, Ill./Effingham HS) allowed just one run on six hits with a career-best six strikeouts in six innings to win his second straight start and improve to 2-1 on the season. In his three Friday starts this season, Green has a 1.59 ERA (three earned runs in 17.0 innings) with 11 strikeouts.

At the plate, seven different Louisville hitters finished with two hits as the Cardinals (8-1) won for the eighth straight time matching the longest winning streak since they won eight consecutive games from April 11-24 during the 2010 season. UofL finished with 17 hits on Friday for their second highest total of the season.

Saturday’s Game

One impressive streak for Jeff Thompson ended Saturday at Jim Patterson Stadium but another remained intact. As a result, a sensational string for the Louisville baseball team continued.

While Thompson finally allowed a run to cross the plate this season, the junior right-hander had another commanding performance in a 10-3 victory over Kent State that pushed his record to 3-0 and the fourth-ranked Cardinals’ winning streak to nine.

The succession of victories is the most for Louisville (9-1) since the Cardinals won 13 straight to open the 2010 season. The Cards scored three runs apiece in the first and sixth innings in capturing the second of the three-game series with the Golden Flashes (1-9) after winning the first 14-2. The weekend finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m., ET at Patterson Stadium and admission is free.

Thompson (Greenville, Ind./Floyd Central HS) notched his third win in three starts after working 6.2 innings and allowing three runs, including two earned, three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. He had his career-best 13.2 scoreless innings streak snapped when Kent State scored twice in the third, but the 2012 All-BIG EAST selection regrouped to pitch comfortably into the seventh inning when the Flashes scratched across an unearned run.

Sunday’s Game

The fourth-ranked Louisville baseball team suffered its first home loss of the season and had its nine-game winning streak halted on Sunday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium with a 3-2 loss to visiting Kent State.

The Cardinals (9-2) stranded a season-high 15 baserunners, including 11 in the final four innings as the Golden Flashes (2-9) salvaged the last game in the three-game series. Sunday’s game also ended Louisville’s six-game winning streak against Kent State.

On the mound, sophomore right-hander Jared Ruxer (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central HS) finished with his third straight no-decision after allowing just one run on six hits with two strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. He was followed by junior lefty Cody Ege (Cherokee, Iowa/Washington HS), who was charged with the loss and dropped to 0-1 overall, after the only batter he faced reached base on infield single and later scored the go-ahead run.

Senior second baseman Nick Ratajczak (Joliet, Ill./Gulf Coast CC) led the Louisville offense going 3-for-5 with an RBI, while sophomore infielder Sutton Whiting (New Wilmington, Pa./Louisville Ballard HS) was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sophomore infielder Zach Lucas (Louisville, Ky./Butler HS) added an RBI pinch-hit double for the Cardinals and junior designated hitter Alex Chittenden (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central HS) singled, walked twice and scored once in the loss.