FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
OMAHA, Neb. – Indiana’s left-handed pitcher Joey DeNato led the Hoosiers to a 2-0 shutout victory Saturday night over the Louisville Cardinals in the opening round of the College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park.
With the win, Indiana (49-18) advances in the winner’s bracket to face Mississippi State on Monday, June 17 at 7 p.m. CT while Louisville (51-13) falls into the loser’s bracket and will face No. 3 Oregon State earlier that day at 2 p.m. CT.
The southpaw All-Big Ten Second Team pitcher posted his best outing of the postseason and his second complete game of the season. He allowed no runs on four hits, three walks and struck out eight. DeNato (10-2) is also credited with shutting out Louisville through four innings during the Cardinals’ first game of the season when IU handed UL another 2-0 loss.
Chants of “Hoo, hoo, hoo, Hoosiers!” echoed throughout the park as Kyle Schwarber crossed home plate for Indiana’s first run in the first inning. Will Nolden led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a Schwarber single up the middle. Nolden and Schwarber attempted a double steal, but Nolden was caught in a pickle on his way to third. With two outs, Scott Donley knocked a single up the middle to score Schwarber and give Indiana an early 1-0 lead.
It was déjà vu for the Hoosiers in the third inning when Nolden drew another leadoff walk and Schwarber singled again, this time to the right side. Sam Travis walked to load the bases, and Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell called for Cody Ege to replace Chad Green on the mound. With two outs, Michael Basil singled through the left side to score Nolden, but the Cardinals’ leftfielder, Coco Johnson rocketed a throw to home plate just in time to catch Schwarber.
In the fifth, Louisville threatened to score when Zach Lucas led off with a single to centerfield. As Zak Wasserman struck out swinging on an apparent hit-and-run attempt, Lucas was putout at second on the play, leaving the Cardinals with two outs and no runners on. DeNato struck out Shane Crain to end the inning’s threat.
Louisville shut down an attempt for Indiana to tack on insurance runs in the seventh after Ege loaded up the bases on two walks and a base hit with one out. McDonnell pulled Ege for righthander Dace Kime, and Kime induced a 5-3 double-play to end the inning.
Green (10-4) took the loss for Louisville. He tossed two innings and faced three batters in the third, allowing two runs on three hits, four walks and struck out four.
Ege tossed 4.1 shutout innings – his longest appearance of his career. He tallied six strikeouts and gave up only three hits and two walks.
DeNato retired Louisville’s last 12 of 15 batters, with Adam Engel’s double down the leftfield line in the eighth inning its closest effort of breaking the shutout.
