LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Indiana State baseball fell to No. 24 Louisville in walk-off fashion Friday night in the series opener, 3-2, at Patterson Stadium in front of 2,570 fans. The Sycamores took a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning, but Louisville would answer back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth to claim the series opener.
 
A pitching battle for much of the contest, both teams used several strong defensive plays to hold their counterparts scoreless through the first few innings.
 
Indiana State (20-18) used double plays in both the first and second to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard while Louisville centerfielder Josh Stowers made a diving catch in the outfield to save extra bases from Sycamore leadoff man Clay Dungan.
 
It wasn't until the fifth inning that a run would cross the plate as Louisville (28-13) struck first. After a leadoff walk to Danny Oriente, the Cardinals looked to sacrifice Oriente to second on a bunt. Stowers dropped a bunt down the first base line that would stay fair for the second hit of the game for Louisville.
 
The Cardinals would successfully sacrifice both runners into scoring position on a bunt to third base before an RBI groundout to shortstop from Pat Rumoro pushed the first run of the game across.
 
Indiana State looked to tie the game in the top of the seventh following a leadoff single to left field from CJ Huntley. The left fielder went on to steal second and move to third on a wild pitch while Jarrod Watkins put together one of the best at bats of the night for the Sycamores but came up just short of scoring the run as he sent a line drive deep to center but the running catch was made to end the inning.
 
The Sycamores would get on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth as Jake Means sent his seventh home run of the season out of the park in left-center to lead off the inning. The Trees would get a double from Roberto Enriquez in the very next at bat. Enriquez would move to third on a sacrifice bunt but the Sycamores would not be able to score the go-ahead run as a pair of strikeouts would end the threat.
 
Louisville entered the ninth inning trailing 2-1 before Devin Mann led off the inning with a walk and would come around to tie the game on a double to the gap in right-center from Logan Wyatt. The Cardinal would get the walk-off run in on a double down the line in left to take the series opener.
 
ISU outhit Louisville 7-5 in the game, but the Cardinals would pick up four of their hits in the final three innings of play.
 
Ethan Larrison fell to 1-6 on the season after giving up two runs in two innings on the mound. Tristan Weaver went seven innings allowing three base hits in the no decision.
 
Southpaw Adam Wolf went eight complete innings for the Cardinals, striking out six and walking just one. Shay Smiddy (4-1) earned the win, pitching the final inning of play.
 
Indiana State will have the opportunity to even the series Saturday with a first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.