NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Louisville baseball team clinched the NCAA Nashville Regional with a 6-0 victory over Wright State on Sunday evening.
Louisville (38-21) is now headed to the super regional round for the 10th time in Dan McDonnell's 19 seasons. The Cardinals will play either Southern Miss or Miami in next week's super regional. The two teams play a winner-take-all contest at Southern Miss on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.
In a weekend filled with strong pitching by the Cards, Sunday night was the exclamation mark.
Ethan Eberle (6-2) was masterful in his first career postseason start. The southpaw retired the first eight batters he faced on his way to a career-long outing. Eberle blanked the Raiders for 6.1 innings, surrendering just two hits while striking out a career-high 11.
The freshman turned things over to Wyatt Danilowicz with a pair of runners on and one out in the seventh.
Danilowicz came on and got a strikeout before making an excellent play on a high chopper to strand the baserunners.
Danilowicz then mowed down the side in the eighth and ninth innings to send Louisville into the next round.
On the offensive side, Louisville jumped on the board as the visiting team in the top of the first for the second consecutive night.
Lucas Moore and Matt Klein started the night with hits before a Zion Rose walk loaded the bases. Eddie King Jr. then delivered as he's done throughout the last month, lining a two-run double into left-center to start the scoring.
Klein added to the Louisville lead with a run-scoring single in the fifth and Kamau Neighbors did the same with a double one inning later.
Alex Alicea then delivered the final blow in the eighth, singling home two more to put the game out of reach.
Alicea finished the night a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, reaching base in all four plate appearances. Moore, Klein, King and Jake Munroe added two hits each.
Louisville pitchers finished the regional with just five runs (four earned) allowed in 27 innings. The Cardinals gave up just 10 hits across three games and had 43 strikeouts versus just nine walks.
