Louisville hits 3 home runs, rolls to 8-3 win over ETSU in Nashville Regional

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lucas Moore and Matt Klein hit two-run home runs, Eddie King Jr. added a solo shot and Louisville defeated ETSU 8-3 on Friday in the Nashville Regional.

ETSU’s Cody Miller and Klein swapped two-run dingers in the third inning. From there, Cardinals’ pitchers Patrick Forbes and Brennyn Cutts shut down the Buccaneers on three hits.

The Cardinals (36-21) face the winner of top-seeded Vanderbilt versus Wright State on Saturday after ETSU (41-16) plays the loser.

Forbes (3-2) went six innings, striking out 13, a Louisville postseason record, while walking four and giving up two hits. Cutts earned his first save, allowing the home run and striking out five.

Louisville, in the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time, picked up a pair of runs in the fourth before Klein and King homered in the fifth.

After Miller’s home run the Buccaneers didn’t get another hit until Tristan Curless had a solo shot in the eighth.

Carter Fink (6-5) gave up six runs on five hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings for ETSU, which won the Southern Conference Tournament for the first time to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2013 and fifth overall.

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