The Hilltoppers took a 2-1 advantage into the fifth inning after solo homeruns by Colie Currie in the second and Jacob Rhinesmith in the fourth.
Starter Troy Newell and reliever Michael Martin held Louisville to one run in the first four frames, but the Cardinals struck for a pair in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead.
With Rhinesmith on first and Kraft on second in the bottom of the sixth, Tyler Robertson hit a fly ball to right field with two out. It was misplayed and dropped by Louisville right fielder Drew Campbell and both runners hustled in to score and give WKU a 4-3 lead right back.
After relievers Conner Boyd and Austin Tibbs halted a Cardinals rally in the seventh, Tibbs allowed a pair of singles with one out in the eighth.
In came Jacob Green from the bullpen, but the righty allowed both inherited runners to score as well as one of his own. Righty Michael Darrell-Hicks was then brought in with two on and two out, but Danny Oriente sliced a two-run single to right field to give Louisville a five-run frame and a four-run lead.
2017 NCBWA Third-Team All-American righty Sam Bordner was asked to protect that lead in the bottom of the ninth and the Hilltoppers would not go down easily. Chase Larsen worked a nine-pitch walk, which was followed by singles from Richard Constantine, Ray Zuberer III and Kraft.
But with the bases loaded, Bordner won nine-pitch battles against Rhinesmith and Currie to end the game. He was forced to throw 44 pitches and allowed his first run in 11 innings of work this season, as the Cardinals held on to strand the potential game-tying run at first base.
Topper Notes
- WKU and Louisville both had 11 hits, breaking a streak of eight games in which the Hilltoppers had out-hit their opponent.
- WKU has allowed only 25 runs in the eighth and ninth innings all season, but 14 of those have comes in losses to the Cardinals on Wedneasday, and earlier in this year at No. 7 Kentucky and vs. West Virginia.
- Seven Kraft had his 35th career multi-hit game, which was his fifth of the season. Jacob Rhinesmih has now produced 11th multi-hit games in his first 21 contests on The Hill.
Up Next
WKU travels to Houston to take on Rice in the second weekend of Conference USA play. It will be the team's first road series since opening weekend at Memphis from Feb. 17-18. First pitch between the Hilltoppers and Owls on Friday, March 23 will be at 6:30 p.m.
