RICHMOND, Ky. – A.J. Lewis’ leadoff home run in the bottom of the first tied the game, 1-1, but No. 4 ranked University of Louisville escaped with a 12-8 win on Tuesday at Earle Combs Stadium.
Lewis sent the fifth pitch of the inning over the wall in left field for his third home run of the season to tie the game.
The Cardinals (17-4) took the lead for good in the top of the third on a two-run double by Jared Poland. Louisville pulled away with four runs in the fourth inning. Danny Oriente had a two-run single in that inning.
Eastern (11-9) closed a 12-3 deficit to four with five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Howie capped the big inning with a three-run home run over the wall in right field. It was his sixth homer of the season.
Lewis finished 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Howie was 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs and three RBIs. Chris Botsoe had a 2-for-3 day with a run and an RBI.
Oriente finished 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. Tyler Fitzgerald scored three runs while going 2-for-4 with two walks.
“That is a great team over there,” Eastern Kentucky Head Coach Edwin Thompson said. “They’re well coached and top four in the country for a reason. They did a great job coming in here and taking it to us early. I thought our guys battled back and that was good to see from an offensive standpoint. Jake Lewis and Aaron Ochsenbein held the fort down those last three innings to give us a chance in the ninth. The home run by Nick Howie was a big one, but we had too many mistakes early to beat a team like this.”
EKU will host Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
