Long Works Eight Innings to Lead Vikings Over Louisville, 8-5
    Buell Goes 4-for-5 at the Plate
    Brian Long struck out eight on Sunday at Louisville.

    Brian Long struck out eight on Sunday at Louisville.

    Feb. 24, 2008

    Final Stats

    Contact: Greg Murphy

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Cleveland State's Brian Long worked eight innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits and fanned eight to lead the Vikings to an 8-5 win over 22nd-ranked Louisville in the finale of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon at Jim Patterson Stadium.

    Vasili Pahoulis recorded the final three outs to earn his first career save.

    "Brian was absolutely commanding today," head coach Kevin Kocks said. "Louisville is a great fastball hitting team and Brian really kept them off-balance with change-ups, curveballs and his knuckleball. They just kept chasing and chasing.

    "As a team, we played great defense today and swung the bats well. We were a little sluggish to start and I got on them hard and they really responded by playing some great baseball."

    The win improves the Vikings to 1-2 on the young season, while the Cardinals fall to 2-1.

    "Overall, I am pleased with the weekend from the standpoint that if we come out and play a good all-around game, we can win against quality teams," Kocks said. "We very easily could have won two out of three this weekend. But we still have a lot to work on and improve."

    CSU jumped out to a 5-0 lead by scoring five runs in the top of the fourth. Brad Buell started the inning with a double to centerfield and scored when Bobby Cash delivered a double to rightfield. Kyle Bischof made it 2-0 Vikings with the third straight CSU hit as he recorded an RBI single to leftcenter.

    Three batters later, Bischof and Josh Hungerman, who had singled earlier in the inning, came around to score on a two-run single by Josh Geric. A Cardinal error also allowed John Foco to come around and score from first base for the fifth run of the inning.

     

     

    Louisville cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth with three runs, but the final two were unearned.

    CSU responded right away by scoring three more times in the sixth on an RBI single from Bischof and RBI doubles by Alex Kerins and Foco.

    The Cardinals managed another run in the seventh inning when pinch runner Greg Del George scored on a balk. Things got a little dicey in the ninth when the Cardinals strung together three straight hits off Chris Bauman to plate another run and cut the CSU lead to 8-5.

    Pahoulis came in to relieve Bauman with no outs and runners on first and second. He got Drew Haynes to ground into a fielder's choice and then got a called third strike on Andrew Clark for the second out of the inning.

    With the game-tying run at the plate in the form of Chris Dominguez, Louisville's number three hitter, Pahoulis got him to ground into a fielder's choice for the final out.

    Buell finished 4-for-5 with a pair of runs, while Bischof went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. The top seven hitters in the lineup all had at least one hit, while the top six batters scored at least one run.

    CSU will return to action next weekend when the Vikings travel to Charlotte for a three-game series with the 49ers. Game on is slated for Friday, Feb. 29, at 3:00 p.m. The second game will be played on Saturday (March 1) at 1:00 p.m. with the finale set for Sunday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m.