Leopards Pounce on Falcons Early, Root Hits Walk-Off – Baseball
Louisville 10, Akron Firestone 0, 6 Innings
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The Louisville Leopards Varsity Baseball Team run-ruled the visiting Akron Firestone Falcons 10-0 in 6 innings Thursday Evening at Andy Aljancic Field. With their fourth straight victory, Louisville improves to 11-4 on the season.
Root Hits Walk-Off in the 6th
Junior third baseman Zach Root went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and scored a run to lead the Leopards on offense. Root recorded the game’s only extra base hit when he hit a 2-out triple to center field in the bottom of the second.
Louisville built a 9-0 lead at the end of the first inning, but neither team scored in the ensuing four innings. In the bottom of the sixth, junior first baseman Camren Atwell led off with a line drive single to right field. Next, sophomore center fielder Kolton Loy reached on an error by the third baseman allowing Atwell to advance in scoring position.
Root lined the next pitch into center field bringing home Atwell from second base for the game-clinching run. Five of the Leopards 11 wins have now come in walk-off fashion including both of their run-rule victories. Root is the fourth different Louisville player this season to hit a walk-off.
Leopards Put 9-Spot Up in Opening Inning
The first 11 Leopard batters reached base in the opening inning as Louisville built a 9-0 advantage. Junior shortstop Andrew Corona led off the Leopard first with an infield single to second base. He then stole second and third. Sophomore center fielder Cooper Rice and senior second baseman Connor Morley also walked to load the bases. Senior catcher Karson Siegfried followed with a fielder’s choice to the pitcher an Corona was out advancing to the plate, but the bases remained loaded.
Rice scored on a wild pitch for the game’s first run. Then Cole Miller walked to reload the bases. Senior designated hitter Charlie Roberts then walked with the ducks still on the pond allowing Morley to walk home from third. Root was then hit by a pitch allowing Morley to score. With the bases still juiced, Harsh walked allowing sophomore courtesy runner Ty Paumier to score Louisville’s fourth run.
Back-to-back 2-run singles doubled the Leopard lead to 8-0. Senior Kyle Vesely hit a 2-run single to left scoring Roberts and Root. Corona then recorded his second base hit of the inning with a 2-run single to left that plated Roberts and Root.
Two batters later, Morley drove in Corona to put Louisville ahed 9-0.
5 Louisville Pitchers Combine for Shutout
Five different Leopard pitchers took the hill combining for a 6-inning, 4-hit shutout. Freshman starting pitcher Bryce Graziani was credited with the victory after working a pair of scoreless frames allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 3. Graziani is now 2-1 on the season with the win.
Rice came on in relief to work a scoreless third. Sophomore Carter Deem then pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning striking out the final batter he faced. Freshman Grayson Brunoni posted a pair of strikeouts in keeping the Falcons off the board in the fifth. Vesely faced the minimum to preserve the shutout in the sixth courtesy of a 2-3 double play to end the frame. Junior catcher Zach Ganser caught an infield pop up and threw to Atwell at first base for the twin killer.
UP NEXT: The Louisville Baseball Team will next host the Lake Blue Streaks on Friday, May 5 at 5:00 PM. JV and Freshman will play at Lake at the same time.
Cover Photo By The Louisville Herald
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Firestone at Louisville Varsity Baseball Box Score
LEOPARDS 10, FALCONS 0, 6 INNINGS
Team 123-456–R-H-E
Firestone 000-000–0-4-2
Louisville 900-001–10-7-0
FIRESTONE FALCONS BATTING STATS
| LINEUP | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
| Bufford (CF, P, CF) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cribbet (SS) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Grass (P, CF, RF, 38) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| —S Nespo (3B) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Heller (C) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| B Hostler (LF) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| S Hostler (2B) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| —Gostlin (2B) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody (RF, CF, RF) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A Mujib (1B) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rhamy (3B, RF, P) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| —Miller (RF) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TEAM | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
TB: Grass 1, Cribbet 1, Rhamy 1, Gostlin 1
E: S Nespo, B Hostler
FIRESTONE FALCONS PITCHING STATS
| PITCHING | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Grass(L) | 0.1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Bufford | 4.1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Rhamy | 0.1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TEAM | 5.0 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 5 |
WP: Grass
HBP: Grass
Pitches-Strikes: Grass 34-11, Rhamy 14-9, Bufford 90-41
Batters Faced: Grass 8, Rhamy 4, Bufford 22
LOUISVILLE LEOPARDS BATTING STATS
| LINEUP | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO |
| A Corona (SS) | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| —T Paumier (SS) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C Rice (CF, P) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| —Z Triplett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| —C Deem (P) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| —G Brunoni (P, LF) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C Morley (2B) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| —T Aljancic (2B) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| K Siegfried (C) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| —Z Ganser (C) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| C Miller (1B) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| —C Atwell (1B) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C Roberts (DH) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| —K Loy (CF) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Z Root (3B) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| C Harsh (RF) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| K Vesely (LF, P) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| —J Paumier (LF) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| TEAM | 23 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 5 |
3B: Z Root
TB: A Corona 2, C Atwell 1, Z Root 4, T Paumier 1, K Vesely 1
HBP: Z Root
SB: A Corona 2, T Aljancic, C Rice 2, T Paumier 2
LOUISVILLE LEOPARDS PITCHING STATS
| PITCHING | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| B Graziani(W) | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| C Rice | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C Deem | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| G Brunoni | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| K Vesely | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEAM | 6.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
Batters Faced: C Deem 3, C Rice 4, G Brunoni 5, K Vesely 3, B Graziani 10
Records: Louisville 11-4
