Louisville Loses Series Opener vs. Stanford

The Cardinals fall to their Cardinal in their first ever meeting.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 1:21am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a college baseball game, with players and the field broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes and planes of color.A cubist interpretation of the action on the field as Louisville struggles to find its footing against Stanford.Louisville Today

The Louisville baseball team dropped the opening game of their weekend series against Stanford, losing 12-2 at home on Friday. The Cardinals jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but Stanford responded with five runs in the third inning and three more in the fifth to pull away. Louisville's offense was held in check after the first inning, generating just four hits on the night.

Why it matters

This loss drops Louisville to 19-15 overall and 5-8 in ACC play, continuing their recent struggles after starting the season 15-6. The Cardinals are now 0-5 in ACC series openers this year, putting them in a tough position heading into the rest of the weekend against a fellow .500 conference opponent.

The details

Louisville starter Wyatt Danilowicz had a rocky outing, surrendering 10 hits and 8 runs (5 earned) over 4.2 innings. The Cardinals' offense was led by DH Zion Rose, who had the team's lone RBI. Stanford, meanwhile, pounded out 22 baserunners and hit a grand slam in the 9th inning to blow the game open.

  • The game was played on Friday, April 11, 2026.
  • First pitch for game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

The players

Wyatt Danilowicz

The Louisville starting pitcher, who went 4.2 innings and gave up 5 earned runs.

Zion Rose

The Louisville designated hitter, who had the team's only RBI in the game.

Bayram Hot

The Louisville third baseman, who drove in a run on a double play groundout.

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What they’re saying

“We just couldn't get anything going offensively after the first inning. Credit to Stanford, they really took control of the game.”

— Zion Rose, Louisville DH

What’s next

Louisville will look to even the series on Saturday when they host Stanford at 2:00 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ACC Network Extra and broadcast on 93.9 The Ville.

The takeaway

This lopsided loss to a fellow .500 ACC team is a concerning development for Louisville, who have now dropped 9 of their last 13 games after a promising 15-6 start to the season. The Cardinals will need to quickly regroup if they hope to get back on track and make a push for the NCAA Tournament.