Baseball Drops Season Opener at No. 5 Louisville, 7-1

Friday, February 17

Louisville, Ky.

3 p.m.

Bucknell University

0-1

Louisville

1-0

Bucknell

Louisville

Photo by: Matt Hawley

Baseball Drops Season Opener at No. 5 Louisville, 7-1

2/17/2023 5:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kyle Lyons recorded two hits and drove in a run, and Ben Magovern turned in a strong four-inning relief stint, but the Bison could not overcome three Louisville home runs and fell 7-1 to the fifth-ranked Cardinals on opening day at frigid Jim Patterson Stadium Friday afternoon.

With temperatures lingering in the mid-30s and snow flurries dancing around the ballpark throughout the game, Bucknell struggled to get the bats going against a Louisville team that was picked as the preseason favorite in the Atlantic Coast Conference and is ranked anywhere from fifth to 16th in the national polls. Cardinals starter Ryan Hawks allowed a run on three hits while striking out nine in 6.1 innings, and two relievers combined for five more strikeouts.

Will Greer got the opening-day start on the mound for the Bison, and after navigating the first two innings was touched for four runs in the bottom of the third. Isaac Humphrey's 2-run homer over the wall in right opened the scoring. Later in the inning, Eddie King Jr. knocked in a run with a triple, and he scored on a ground out to make it 4-0.

Hawks held the Bison hitless until the fifth, when Sean Keys and Lyons singled on consecutive pitches. Hawks fanned the next two to escape the jam, but the Bison did get on the board in the seventh. Billy Kender, who made his first career start at second base, ripped a single to right field that chased Hawks, moved up on a ground ball, and scored on Lyons' shot into right center.

Magovern breezed through his first three innings in relief and retired the first two Cardinals to start the bottom of the seventh. But Preseason All-American Jack Payton kept the inning alive with a single through the left side and Ryan McCoy followed with a blast to right to make it a 6-1 game.

Nikhil Patel pitched the eighth inning for Bucknell and retired the first two batters before Tyeler Hawkins lined an 0-2 pitch over the wall in left.

Bucknell played errorless ball in the field, and freshman shortstop Ryan Facinelli and third baseman Keys both made terrific running catches while battling the wind on pop-ups down the left-field line.

The three-game series continues on Saturday at 1 p.m. Senior lefty Chris DiFiore takes the mound for Bucknell against Louisville southpaw Riley Phillips. The game can be seen on ACC Network Extra.