Morehead State baseball beats Louisville in historic victory
MOREHEAD, Ky. (BVM) — The Morehead State Eagles baseball team had a slow start to its 2021 season. After starting the campaign with five straight losses, the Eagles picked up their first win against Ohio University on Feb. 26 prior to a game against one of the nation鈥檚 top teams, the Louisville Cardinals, in Louisville.
While the 1-5 Eagles may have seemed like a pushover coming into the game for the perennial powerhouse and Perfect Game鈥檚 No. 1-ranked team, Louisville, Morehead gave the Cardinals everything they had during the March 2 matchup. By game鈥檚 end, it was the underdog Eagles who were victorious with a 5-2 win. The victory marked the first win in program history over a top 10 opponent and the first win over Louisville since 2000.
鈥淚t was great, I鈥檓 thrilled for our players and hopefully it鈥檚 something we have an opportunity to build on,鈥� Morehead State head coach Mik Aoki said. 鈥淭o knock off a team as good as Louisville is a pretty big deal for anybody but particularly for a mid-major like ourselves.鈥�
The game was not without its battles though. The Eagles, using a platoon of eight pitchers, kept the Cardinals鈥� explosive offense in check by only surrendering an RBI grounder in the fifth inning and a run after a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning. Down 2-0 with two innings left, the Eagles would rally in the eighth frame to put their team within striking distance of victory.
Fifth-year senior Ryan Layne started the rally as the first batter in the inning when he was hit by Louisville pitcher Carter Lohman on the 1-0 pitch. After a strikeout, senior catcher Jack Gardner ripped a single to advance the runners before freshman shortstop Cole Becker coaxed a walk to load the bases.
Senior outfielder Arthur Sells would pinch hit in the next at-bat and would get the scoring started with an RBI single to right field on his first hit of the year. During the next at-bat, Lohman would again misplace the ball, hitting senior outfielder Peyton Dilligham and tying up the ball game 2-2. Freshman infielder Jackson Feltner broke the tie with an RBI single to left field to bring the score to 3-2 before junior infielder Bryce Hensor provided insurance runs with a two-run single to the right side.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about [our group] honestly,鈥� Aoki said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a guy like Hensor who鈥檚 been around for a while who gets that big hit and Sells who also gets a big hit for our guys who鈥檝e been around and been in the college game for a while. Then you have Feltner who is a freshman and he also got a big hit in that thing and you can鈥檛 say enough about Grant Herron.鈥�
Following the scoring outburst, the Eagles were faced with stopping the Cardinals potent offense for two innings. The responsibility fell upon the shoulders of freshman pitcher Herron. While Louisville was able to get a couple of runners to second and third with two outs, Herron stopped the rally short of the plate by striking out the next batter. In the ninth, the Cardinals were again threatening with two men on, but Herron answered once more forcing a fly out and striking out the game鈥檚 last batter to give the Eagles the decisive win.
鈥淭he kids were fired up as they should be,鈥� Aoki said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 get a chance to come from behind on Louisville very often with the arms they have and the level of defense they play. 鈥� [They] were thrilled, excited, whatever superlatives you can throw up there is applicable.鈥�
Herron was electric for the Eagles down the stretch, pitching for 2.2 innings with five strikeouts and only two hits. The freshman would also earn the win for the Eagles, marking his first collegiate victory.
鈥淸Herron] was there by virtue of the fact that he鈥檚 been a kid who鈥檚 come in, thrown strikes, who hasn鈥檛 been overwhelmed by the moment whether against Ohio U and nailing down a win there or against Louisville and nailing down a win there,鈥� Aoki said. 鈥淔or a true freshman to go do that, it takes courage. It really does.鈥�
Aoki sees his freshman pitcher鈥檚 performance as a perfect lesson to teach the rest of his team. He wants his team to go out and play their best and, as he likes to say, 鈥渓et it rip.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of the embodiment of everything that we鈥檙e trying to talk to all of our guys about regardless of what year of school they are,鈥� Aoki said. 鈥淕o let it rip. You can鈥檛 play this game, or the game of life, being afraid of failure and [Herron]鈥檚 done that.鈥�
In total, the Eagles eight pitchers would strike out 10 Louisville batters while surrendering nine hits and the two runs.
The win was also a historic one for the Ohio Valley Conference as it marked just the third time in conference history that a team defeated a top ranked program, with Austin Peay beating top-billed Vanderbilt in 2019 and Jacksonville State defeating Georgia in 2009. The victory also gave Aoki only his second victory over U of L as Eagles head coach.
鈥淚鈥檝e been telling people that it makes me about two and a thousand against Louisville,鈥� Aoki said with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great, no doubt. Coach McDonald and Coach Williams have just built a powerhouse over there. They never have to rebuild, they just keep reloading. 鈥� It鈥檚 a gratifying deal, but believe me when I tell you I don鈥檛 have a hell of a lot to do it. The kids have to go out there, throw pitches and swing the bat and for one night at least we did that at a tick higher than they did.鈥�
While the season may not have started the way the Eagles had hoped, regardless of how it ends, the members of the team will always have one special memory. Following the game, Aoki still feels all of his team鈥檚 goals are still in front of them.
鈥淚 feel good about our team,鈥� Aoki said. 鈥淚 think this is now four straight games where we鈥檝e pitched at a very high level. Our hitting isn鈥檛 exactly where I think it can be or where I think it will be, but we鈥檙e pitching. That gives me a great deal of confidence that when it鈥檚 all said and done we鈥檒l be where we want to be competing for an OVC Championship.鈥�
Though it may not be of any major significance or consequence for the team from Louisville, for the team from Morehead, the win is one for the ages.
