Louisville Defeats Miami 8-1 in NCAA Super Regional Opener

The Miami Hurricanes suffered an 8-1 defeat against the Louisville Cardinals in the opening game of the NCAA Super Regional, putting them on the brink of elimination and requiring back-to-back wins to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 2016. Miami's starting pitcher, A.J. Ciscar, struggled significantly, allowing seven runs and three home runs over 2⅓ innings, while Louisville's Patrick Forbes delivered a strong performance with 5⅔ innings pitched, nine strikeouts, and only one run allowed. Miami squandered multiple scoring opportunities, leaving numerous runners stranded and failing to capitalize on loaded bases in early innings. Louisville took control with back-to-back homers in the second inning and a decisive five-run fourth inning, aided by a costly throwing error by Ciscar that extended the Cardinals' lead. Despite Miami's limited offense, Renzo Gonzalez managed to bring in their only run on a sacrifice fly. The Hurricanes will need a much-improved offensive effort and strong pitching performances in Game Two to stay alive in the series, which tips off Saturday morning at Louisville's Jim Patterson Stadium.