LOUISVILLE – Western Kentucky got a firsthand look Tuesday at why Louisville is one of the nation’s best college baseball teams.

Offensively, the Cardinals cranked out 16 hits and three home runs, including two from Alex Binelas. Defensively, UofL was error-free.

And on the mound, four Cards relievers combined to shut out the Hilltoppers over the final five innings of an 11-4 Louisville win at Jim Patterson Stadium.

The Cardinals (36-9) entered Tuesday’s game ranked No. 7 nationally by D1Baseball.com. UofL has now won 13 of its past 14 games and has outscored its opponents this season 367-177.

“They’re definitely a great club,” WKU second baseman Nick Brunson told the Daily News after his team’s seven-run loss. “You go up and down the lineup, there’s no real weakness, really.

“They can run, they can all hit a little bit and they’ve got good pitching, which is the key to being a good D-I baseball team.”

The Toppers (20-22-1) struck first on a solo, second-inning home run from the senior Brunson.

Coach Dan McDonnell’s Cards quickly answered, posting three runs in the bottom of the frame off WKU starter Dalton Shoemake. The big strike was a two-run Binelas home run.

Down 3-1, the Hilltoppers responded in the top of the fourth. WKU scored one run apiece off a Matt Phipps double, a Kevin Lambert sacrifice fly and a Brunson single to go up 4-3.

Relief pitcher Hunter Crosby couldn’t make that lead last. Louisville put three runs of its own on the board in the bottom of the fourth, including one on a single by Binelas, who finished with four RBIs.

The Cardinals made it 9-4 in the fifth with another three-run inning, then pushed the final margin to 11-4 with seventh-inning solo shots from Tyler Fitzgerald and Binelas.

Louisville relievers Bryan Hoeing, Shay Smiddy, Adam Elliott and Luke Smith combined for seven strikeouts with two hits and one walk allowed. None was charged with any runs.

“The depth is the biggest thing,” Tops coach John Pawlowski said of UofL’s pitching staff. “Their front-line players are good, but when you can go down the bench and go to a mid-week guy throwing 93, 95, that’s the difference with those Power Five programs.”

Nelson out with broken arm

Tuesday marked WKU’s second straight game without Dillon Nelson filling his usual role as designated hitter.

Nelson broke his arm Saturday when he was hit by a pitch during a loss at Texas-San Antonio, Pawlowski said. He’s unlikely to return this season.

The redshirt junior Nelson was hitting .264 at the time of the injury. He’s collected two home runs, seven doubles, 31 runs batted in and 20 runs scored in 2019.

Nelson’s injury continues a frustrating trend for a beat-up Hilltopper squad.

WKU lost first baseman Davis Sims for the season to an April 2 knee injury. Sims’ replacement at first, Richard Constantine, hasn’t played since breaking a bone in his foot April 16 at Belmont.

Then April 23 against Kentucky, center fielder Jackson Swiney suffered a facial injury trying to make a play at the wall at Bowling Green Ballpark. He’s missed the four games since then, though he took batting practice Tuesday at Louisville and could return to the lineup soon.

Right fielder Jake Sanford has filled in the last four games for Swiney in center and made eight putouts Tuesday. Jack Wilson, who’s started 37 games this year in the Topper infield, has temporarily moved to Sanford’s spot in right.

Phipps, who’s started 34 games this year at catcher, has filled in at first base, where Wilson was playing after Constantine’s injury. That’s left reserve catcher Collin Hopkins to fill Phipps’ vacancy behind the plate, while Aidan Elias is serving as DH with Nelson on the shelf.

“They are what they are,” Pawlowski said of his team’s injury woes. “I’ll tell you what, this team has handled it tremendously. They’ve handled it with poise.

“We’ve got guys playing in different positions, but you know what? It is what it is. … We’ll continue to get after it.”

Up next

WKU turns its attention back to Conference USA play this weekend for an important home series against Rice. The fourth-place Owls are 12-9 in C-USA play, just ahead of the fifth-place Hilltoppers, who sport an 11-9-1 league record.

First pitch Friday at Nick Denes Field is set for 5 p.m. The teams will then meet again at 1 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

“Any conference series is huge, but especially this one this weekend with Rice coming,” Brunson said. “We’ve got a tough matchup, but I think we’re ready for it.”

Notes

Pawlowski is 81-122-1 in his fourth season at WKU and 587-439-2 overall in his coaching career. … The Hilltoppers are 69-70 all-time against Louisville and have lost six straight games to the Cardinals. WKU’s last win against UofL came in 2015. … Brunson’s second-inning home run was his first of the season and only his second of his two-year Topper career. … WKU finished the month of April with a 6-11 record. The Hilltoppers went 6-2 in February and 8-9-1 in March. … Announced attendance at Jim Patterson Stadium was 1,869.

Western Kentucky (20-22-1) – 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 – 4 5 0

No. 7 Louisville (36-9) – 0 3 0 3 3 0 2 0 x – 11 16 0

WP: Hoeing (3-2) LP: Crosby (1-4){&end}