The Louisville baseball team has secured its spot among the final four teams remaining in the 2025 College World Series. Under the leadership of Coach Dan McDonnell, the Cardinals fought off elimination for the third time in their last four contests, achieving a dramatic 7-6 victory over Oregon State in an elimination game on Tuesday in Omaha. This win avenged a heartbreaking 4-3 walk-off loss to the Beavers just days earlier.
Louisville took control early, never trailing during the match. The scoring began in the bottom of the first inning, when Eddie King Jr. hit a two-out single that brought home Alex Alicea, who had opened the game with an infield single.
In the third inning, Jake Munroe extended the lead with a powerful two-run home run. Zion Rose added to the Cardinals’ score with a solo home run in the fourth, thrilling fans and teammates alike as the scoreboard read 4-2 in Louisville’s favor.
The Cardinals continued to build on their lead with a run from Kamau Neighbors’ RBI single in the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly from King in the seventh, bringing the score to 6-3.
However, the ninth inning brought intense pressure. Coming in with a three-run lead, Louisville’s left-handed reliever Wyatt Danilowicz faced immediate trouble when Oregon State’s Aiva Arquette hit a home run. Following a single by Gavin Turley, Danilowicz was replaced by Tucker Biven, who had just pitched two days before in Louisville’s win over Arizona.
Biven struggled initially, loading the bases after a walk and allowing a single from AJ Singer. A critical moment arose when Alicea committed an error on a routine ground ball, allowing two runs to score and placing Oregon State in a strong position to take the lead.
Demonstrating resilience, Biven struck out the next three batters, managing to preserve the tie at 6-6. Alicea then redeemed himself by walking to start the bottom of the ninth. Following a couple of unsuccessful attempts at a sacrifice bunt, Lucas Moore reached base on a catcher’s interference, setting the stage for a pivotal sequence.
Matt Klein executed a perfect sacrifice bunt that was misfielded by Oregon State’s pitcher Kellan Oakes, filling the bases with no outs. After a strikeout by Munroe, it was once again Eddie King Jr. who rose to the occasion, delivering the game-winning hit that sent Alicea home.
This exhilarating victory not only highlighted the emotional rollercoaster of the game but also allowed Louisville to match its best performance at the College World Series. A win over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday would set a new milestone for the program. The matchup is scheduled for 2 p.m., and should Louisville prevail, a second game against Coastal would follow on Thursday for a chance to advance to the CWS Championship Series.