Louisville baseball drops 10-5 midweek game at Western Kentucky after early four-run first inning
WKU capitalizes early and late as Cardinals commit four errors in Bowling Green
Louisville’s midweek trip to Bowling Green ended with a 10-5 loss to Western Kentucky on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Nick Denes Field. The defeat dropped the Cardinals to 16-9, while the Hilltoppers improved to 14-11 in a nonconference matchup that featured 16 WKU hits and four Louisville errors.
Western Kentucky set the tone immediately, sending 10 batters to the plate in the first inning and scoring four runs. Louisville starter Kian Vorster recorded two outs but was charged with four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks in 0.2 innings, forcing the Cardinals into early bullpen coverage.
Louisville rallies in the middle innings, but WKU pulls away with a four-run seventh
Louisville was held scoreless through three innings before cutting into the deficit in the fourth. Tague Davis led off with a walk and later scored on Griffin Crain’s sacrifice fly. Jimmy Nugent followed with an RBI groundout to bring home Bayram Hot, who had reached after being hit by a pitch.
The Cardinals tied the game in the fifth with a three-run surge. Ben Slanker doubled in Lucas Moore, and Davis hit a two-run home run—his 14th of the season—to make it 5-5. Louisville finished with six hits and four walks, with Davis accounting for two RBIs and scoring twice.
Western Kentucky regained the lead with an unearned run in the sixth, then broke the game open in the seventh with four more runs. Louisville used eight pitchers overall; Jack Brown took the loss after allowing one run (unearned) in 1.2 innings. WKU reliever Kaine Samuels earned the win with two scoreless innings, and Conner Wolf closed with two scoreless frames.
By the numbers
Final: Western Kentucky 10, Louisville 5
Hits: WKU 16, Louisville 6
Errors: Louisville 4, WKU 0
Attendance: 1,694
For Western Kentucky, Kyle Hayes drove in three runs and Camden Ross had three hits. JP Acosta added three hits and two RBIs. The Hilltoppers left 13 runners on base but paired consistent contact with six walks to generate pressure throughout the night.
Louisville’s defense was charged with errors by Tague Davis, Bayram Hot, Griffin Crain and Jimmy Nugent, contributing to multiple unearned runs in a five-run margin.
Louisville next returns to Atlantic Coast Conference play with a three-game home series against Pitt beginning Friday.