March 19, 2011
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Louisville Team Notes
Louisville has now won six of the past eight meetings between the two squads and 12 of the last 16. The Cardinals lead the all-time series 28-18.
The Cardinals snapped Xavier's winning streak at nine games.
The shutout for U of L was its sixth of the season, tops in the nation and already the second-most in Louisville history (the 2007 team had seven).
Most shutouts, Division I (as of end of Louisville-Xavier game)
1. 6 - Louisville
2. 5 - Oklahoma State
2. 5 - Texas
2. 5 - Virginia
2. 5 - Wichita State
Most shutouts in a season, Louisville history
1. 7 - 2007
2. 6 - 2011
2. 6 - 1974
The Cards pitched a shutout immediately following a game in which they allowed 10+ runs for the first time since April 27-28, 2007, when Louisville dropped a 10-4 decision to USF before blanking the Bulls 4-0 the next day.
Louisville improves to 8-1 this season against left-handed starting pitchers.
U of L's losing streak ended at three, preventing the first four-game winless streak for the Cards within one season since April 22-29, 2006 (five games).
The Cardinals' current string of 21 consecutive games without scoring 10+ runs is the longest for a Louisville squad since a 24-game span from March 30-May 11, 1996. U of L has not taken more than 18 games to pick up its first 10-run game of the year since 1972, when that team went the entire 38-game season without scoring in double figures.
Louisville Player Notes
Sophomore Justin Amlung improved to 9-0 in 13 career regular-season starts with Saturday's win. Amlung's only two losses have come in relief (against Kentucky on April 6, 2010) and in the postseason (against Vanderbilt in last year's NCAA Regional).
Amlung kept the opposition off the board over the first three innings for the sixth consecutive start, working out of a second-and-third, one-out jam in the opening inning to keep the streak intact. He has allowed just 13 baserunners in those 18.0 innings.
First three innings for Justin Amlung, last six starts
IP H R ER BB SO
18.0 10 0 0 2 12
Amlung lowered his ERA over his last six regular-season starts to a microscopic 0.43, allowing just 22 hits and two runs in 41.2 innings over that stretch. He has held the opponent without a run in four of the six outings (each covering 6.0 innings or more). Amlung's season ERA currently sits at 0.50.
Justin Amlung, last six regular-season starts
Date Opponent Dec IP H R ER BB SO
5.22.10 Notre Dame-2 W 6.0 4 0 0 0 6
2.19.11 Ohio State W 7.2 4 0 0 1 4
2.26.11 Toledo - 6.0 5 1 1 1 5
3.5.11 Kent State W 7.0 1 1 1 1 4
3.12.11 Pepperdine W 8.0 3 0 0 2 3
3.19.11 Xavier W 7.0 5 0 0 2 7
Totals 5-0 41.2 22 2 2 7 29
Amlung's scoreless streak currently sits at 15.0 innings after back-to-back shutout starts. His seven strikeouts on Saturday marked a new career best.
Amlung is 8-1 with a 1.36 ERA over his last 12 starts after recording a 7.59 ERA and allowing 18 hits in 10.2 innings over his first three career starts.
Amlung, first three career starts
Record ERA IP H R ER BB SO
0-0 7.59 10.2 18 9 9 2 11
Amlung, last 12 starts
Record ERA IP H R ER BB SO
8-1 1.36 66.0 46 11 10 14 45
Since beginning his career 0-for-24 from the dish, freshman Alex Chittenden has 13 hits in 30 at bats for a .433 average. Chittenden moved his hitting streak to six games on Saturday with a fourth-inning single, his 10th this season with runners on base. He is 10-for-30 (.333) with runners on this year.
Senior J.J. Ethel's bunt single in his first plate appearance extended his hitting streak to a career-long eight games. Ethel is hitting .407 (11-for-27) during the streak.
Sophomore Cade Stallings' RBI base knock in the second inning gave him five RBI over the last four games. Stallings also notched his third two-hit game in the last five contests.
Freshman Ryan Seiz's multi-hit game was his fourth in the last seven games. Since a 3-for-19 (.158) stretch to open his career, Seiz is hitting .360 (9-for-25) with four RBI.
Freshman Jeff Thompson extended his career-opening scoreless streak to 9.1 innings with a 1-2-3 eighth inning Saturday afternoon. Thompson picked up his third hold of the season in the process.
Thompson has retired the last eight batters he has faced and 11 of the last 12.
The save for closer Tony Zych was his sixth of the season, tying him for 10th on the Cardinal single-season list. Zych is on pace to shatter the Louisville record for saves in a season (17), set by Neil Holland last year. Zych's eight career saves place him 11th on the U of L all-time list (Holland also holds that record, with 19).
