NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt dropped a 3-2 contest to Louisville on Saturday night at Hawkins Field on the second day of the NCAA Tournament Nashville Regional.
Cody Bowker, Levi Huesman and Connor Fennell combined to strike out nine batters while holding the Cardinals to three runs on eight hits. Bowker went 5.1 with six strikeouts and two earned runs allowed. Fennell tossed the final three innings and didn’t allow a run.
Louisville used a solo homer in the top of the first to take an early lead.
The Dores pulled even in the third with some heads-up baserunning from Mike Mancini. Mancini worked a four-pitch walk and took second on a wild pitch. He then scored all the way from second on another wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
Louisville retook the lead with a solo homer in the top of the fifth. The Cardinals then went in front 3-1 after a double, sac bunt and a throwing error.
Vandy got a run back in the home half of the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of defensive miscues by the Cardinals. Jacob Humphrey singled and reached second on an error. A fielder’s choice and another error allowed Humphrey to come around to score and cut Louisville’s lead to one.
The Dores got the tying run to third base in both the sixth and ninth innings but were unable to pull off yet another late-inning comeback. The loss snapped a nine-game win streak.
Vanderbilt will face Wright State at 2 p.m. on Sunday in an elimination game. The winner will take on Louisville at 8 p.m.
