Area Players Compete on College Teams During Weekend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The fourth-ranked Louisville baseball team saw its nine-game winning streak halted Friday night at Jim Patterson Stadium as visiting Rutgers earned a 6-2 victory in the BIG EAST Conference opener for both squads.

The Cardinals, who had won nine straight for the second time this season, dropped to 18-3 overall, while the Scarlet Knights improved to 7-10 on the season.

Rutgers gained command early Friday plating two runs in the first inning on four hits against Louisville righty starter Chad Green (Effingham, Ill./Effingham HS). After a leadoff groundout, the Scarlet Knights connected for four straight hits, including RBI singles by centerfielder Brian O’Grady and leftfielder Lou Clemente to take a 2-0 advantage.

Jeff Thompson doesn't give up many runs and, in turn, the Louisville baseball team's junior right-hander does give the Cardinals' offense plenty of patience.

In the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Jim Patterson Stadium, Thompson extended his eye-popping scoreless innings streak another six-plus innings, and Ty Young helped jump-start the Cardinals at the plate as they scored all their runs from the seventh inning on in a 4-0 victory over Rutgers in BIG EAST Conference action.

It was the first league win for fourth-ranked Louisville (19-3, 1-1), which lost the Friday opener to the Scarlet Knights (7-11, 1-1). The Cardinals, who have regrouped with a win after each of their three setbacks this season, looked to capture the conference-opening series in the tail end of the doubleheader.

Suffering its first series loss of the season, the No. 4 Louisville baseball team dropped a 7-3 decision to visiting Rutgers in the decisive game of a three-game set Saturday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals fell to 19-4 overall and 1-2 in BIG EAST Conference action after splitting Saturday’s doubleheader, while the Scarlet Knights improved to 8-11 on the season and 2-1 in league games. Louisville opened Saturday with a 4-0 victory before dropping the second game, which was originally scheduled for Sunday but was moved ahead one day due to expected inclement weather.

This weekend marked the first time in eight seasons as a member of the BIG EAST Conference Louisville has suffered a series loss in the first weekend of league action. It was also the Cardinals’ first series loss of the season.

EIU Splits Twinbill

NORMAL, Ill. – The Panther baseball team split a doubleheader with Illinois State on Saturday, March 23 at Duffy Bass Field, defeating the Redbirds 7-2 (10 innings) in game one before falling 18-3 in game two.

EIU captured the weekend series as they picked up a series-opening win, 9-5, Friday night. The Panthers are 6-15 on the year while the Redbirds are 11-11.

“We had a good weekend,” said Eastern Illinois head coach Jim Schmitz. “Joe Greenfield was great today and (Treysen) Vavra and (Brant) Valach had some big hits for us. We took a big step forward in getting better this weekend and I hope the guys keep working hard to improve.”

Game 1: EIU 7, ISU 2 (10 innings)

Tied at two heading into the top of the 10th inning, the Panthers scored five runs on three hits and one error to take a 7-2 advantage. Jake Johansmeier came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the frame and struck out the final three Redbird batters to seal the victory.

Treysen Vavra gave the Panthers an early 2-0 lead with a two-out, two-RBI single in the third inning. ISU knotted the contest at two in the sixth inning, scoring two runs on three hits.

The Redbirds had two more hits (11-9) than the Panthers and committed two more errors (2-0). ISU also left four more runners on base (10-6) in the contest.

Vavra went 2-for-5 with four RBI and one run to pace the Panther offense while Caleb Howell added two hits, a run and a RBI. Demetre Taylor chipped in two hits and Tyler Schweigert scored a team-high two runs.

Garrison Stenger (2-0) posted the win for EIU, striking out one and not allowing any hits or runs in 0.2 innings of work. Joe Greenfield made the start and went 8.1 innings with eight strikeouts.

Brad Sorkin (4-2) took the loss for ISU, surrendering six hits and four runs (two earned) in nine innings of action. He also had four strikeouts on the day. Eric Aguilera went 3-for-5 with a run to pace the Redbirds at the plate.

Game 2: ISU 18, EIU 3

After the Redbirds took an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning, Cameron Berra hit an RBI double in the top of the next inning to tie the game. ISU scored eight unanswered runs over the next four innings to take a 9-1 lead until the Panthers scored two runs on two hits in the top of the seventh to get within six (9-3).

ISU broke open the contest by scoring nine more runs over the next two innings to take an 18-3 lead. The Redbirds had nine more hits (18-9) than the Panthers and committed four less errors (4-0). EIU stranded three more runners on base (11-8) in the contest.

Berra led the Panthers at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with an RBI. John Devito went 2-for-3 with a run.

Matt Borens (0-4) took the loss, surrendering seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in 4.2 innings of work. Stewardson-Strasburg graduate Jaden Widdersheim pitched 1.1 innings, allowing 5 hits, four runs, two walks and striking out one.

Chris Razo (1-0) earned the win for ISU, striking out seven batters and allowing only three hits and one run in four innings of action. Aguilera went 6-for-6 with four RBI and a run to pace the Redbird offense.

SIUE Splits Doubleheader

EDWARDSVILE, Ill. – SIUE hitters combined for 23 hits Saturday, including 15 in game one, as the Cougars and Murray State split an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader at Simmons Baseball Complex. SIUE won the opener 13-12, before dropping the finale 8-1.

The Cougars, now 6-13 overall and 4-5 in the OVC, scored 11 times on six hits in the first inning in game one. SIUE sent 14 hitters to plate against Murray State starter Andrew Bramley and reliever Will Handlin.

The game one win snapped a five-game losing streak for SIUE.