Baseball Upsets Perry in DI Tournament Debut – Top Memory #10

By Leopard Nation · Published June 10, 2014 · Updated July 21, 2014

Louisville Leopards Baseball Sectional Semifinal Tournament 2014

#10 Baseball Upsets Perry in DI Tournament Debut

Back on May 13, the Louisville Leopards Baseball team played their inaugural Division I Tournament game against the host Perry Panthers. The 12th Seeded Leopards stunned the 8th Seeded Panthers 4-3.

Pitcher Alex Hollifield had a gutsy 127-pitch performance to remember on the mound that day. Despite issuing 10 walks, he only gave up 3 runs on 3 hits. None of the Panthers runs came via the ball being hit as they scored via a walked in run, a wild pitch, and a passed ball.

Louisville mustered enough offense to edge Perry. They took an initial 2-0 advantage in the second inning when Corey Hileman bunted aboard via a Panther error that allowed both Zach Shea & Jake Adams to score. Later in the fifth inning, Garrett Yoder drove in the pinch-running Tyler Adams to give the Leopards the lead. Then Stephen Kerzan provided a much needed insurance run by doubling in Yoder to make it 4-2.

Hileman later recorded the save in the seventh inning to send Louisville into a frenzy. The Leopards had previously been outscored by Federal League foes 23-3 coming into the game, but in that moment those games seemed in the distant past.

The ball was not bouncing Louisville’s way in 2014 as they experienced their first losing season since 1998. Yet this was redeemed by their play on the field at Perry in the Sectional Semifinals. The Leopards would end their tournament run three days later in falling to eventual State Champion Jackson 6-3. But to go in and upset a Division I Federal League foe in their own house will build confidence for the future of the program.

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