Louisville took a 3-2 loss at Wake Forest to end its nine-game winning streak.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – March 7, 2020
A walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning handed the second-ranked University of Louisville baseball team a 3-2 loss on Saturday at Wake Forest. The loss snaps the Cardinals’ nine-game winning streak.
Louisville (10-4, 1-1 ACC) entered the ninth inning trailing 2-1. Zach Britton drew a one-out walk and pinch-runner Chris Seng immediately swiped second base. Seng advanced to third on a wild pitch, but a strikeout brought the Cardinals down to their final out.
Down to his last strike, Levi Usher delivered in the clutch, lining a 2-2 pitch into centerfield to score Seng and extend the contest.
In the bottom of the ninth, a deep flyout started the frame, but the second batter of the inning hammered a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to give Wake Forest (9-6, 1-1) the victory and even up the series.
Evan Webster (1-1) was hit with the loss after allowing the home run, but the freshman had been solid out of the bullpen prior. Webster recorded the final out of the seventh and then pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth to keep Louisville within one run.
Bobby Miller made the start for the Cardinals and was dominant through the first five innings. The right-hander held the Demon Deacons hitless through 5.1 innings before running into trouble in the sixth.
Wake Forest picked up a one-out single for its first hit of the game and the next batter lined a ball over the left-centerfield wall for a two-run homer that seesawed the Deacons in front.
Louisville took an early advantage on Saturday, started by Ben Metzinger’s leadoff double on the second pitch of the game. Luke Brown moved him to third and Danny Oriente drove home Metzinger with a sacrifice fly.
The Cardinals couldn’t manage any other offense until the ninth though, tallying just five hits on the day.
Louisville and Wake Forest wrap up the series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., ET.
