Michigan baseball: Louisville thrashes U-M to force regional rematch
Michigan handled Louisville, 7-3, Saturday to move within a game of the super regionals. The host Cardinals, though, weren’t going down without a fight.
RELATED: Michigan baseball keeps rolling, upsets Louisville, 7-3
Louisville handled Oregon to eliminate the Ducks Sunday, setting up a rematch with the Wolverines. They took control of their second game with Michigan in the first inning, scoring four runs on the way to a 20-1 pounding of U-M Sunday.
The two teams will meet again Monday in a winner-take-all regional final.
Angelo Smith started for Michigan but lasted only a third of an inning, struggling from the outset. He walked two and hit a batter, leaving with the bases only and only one out.
Avery Goldensoph replaced him and quickly gave up a two-run single. He walked another before giving up another two-run single, increasing the lead to 4-0 before he got the final out. After Michigan went 1-2-3 in the first, Louisville jumped on Goldensoph again in the second for a single and a home run to chase him.
John Torrollea was next out of the bullpen for the Wolverines. He gave up the seventh run after a walk, wild pitch and double. The Michigan batters, meanwhile, struggled to get anything going. Five of the first six Wolverines struck out and the first seven went down before Joey Velazquez got U-M on the board with a solo home run in the third.
That would do it for the Michigan scoring. Louisville, though, was just getting started. Cameron Masterman ripped a two-run home run off Torrollea to increase the lead to 9-1 in the fourth. Louisville scored three more against Brandon Lawrence in the fifth to make it 12-1 while the Wolverines’ bats remained quiet.
Pitcher Jake Keaser was one of the few bright spots for Michigan, entering in the sixth. He pitched two innings of scoreless ball, allowing one hit and striking out three.
Keaton Carattini wasn’t as fortunate. He gave up six earned runs on four hits and two walks in the eighth, and the lead increased to 18-1. Louisville added two in the ninth to finish the thrashing and set up a deciding third game against the two teams.
Michigan managed only three hits and struck out 15 times in the loss. Louisville banged out 19 hits and notched 11 walks in the win.
