Louisville Dominates Miami 8-1 in Super Regional Opener

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The Louisville Cardinals seized control of the 2025 NCAA Super Regional with a decisive 8-1 victory over the Miami Hurricanes on June 6 at Jim Patterson Stadium. In front of a raucous home crowd of 5,776, Louisville used early power, opportunistic offense, and strong pitching to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, putting themselves just one win away from a College World Series berth2 4 6.

Game Summary

Early Missed Chances for Miami

Miami’s offense threatened early but failed to capitalize. In the top of the second, the Hurricanes loaded the bases with one out against Louisville starter Patrick Forbes, thanks to two walks and a hit batter. However, Forbes responded with back-to-back strikeouts, stranding all three runners and shifting the momentum squarely to the Cardinals3 6.

Louisville Strikes First with Power

The bottom of the second saw Louisville waste no time seizing the lead. Garret Pike launched a first-pitch leadoff home run to left, and on the very next at-bat, Jake Munroe belted a solo shot to center, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage2 3 6 7.

Miami Responds, Then Falters

Miami cut the lead in half in the third. Daniel Cuvet was hit by a pitch, Dorian Gonzalez Jr. doubled, and Derek Williams walked to load the bases. Renzo Gonzalez lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Cuvet and making it 2-1. But Forbes again escaped further damage with a strikeout, maintaining the slim lead3 6.

Game-Changing Third Inning for Louisville

The bottom of the third proved disastrous for Miami. After a leadoff groundout, Gavin Klein doubled and Will Rose was intentionally walked. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. Garret Pike then hit a comebacker to Miami pitcher AJ Ciscar, who threw wide of the catcher, allowing two runs to score. On the very next pitch, Munroe crushed a three-run homer to left, blowing the game open at 7-12 3 4 6.

Munroe’s Historic Night

Munroe’s performance was historic for Louisville. He finished 2-for-3 with two home runs, five RBIs, and a sacrifice fly, becoming the first Cardinal since Ben Metzinger (2022) to record a multi-homer, five-RBI postseason game4. His approach at the plate was simple yet effective: “I was just trying to be calm, unload the baseball, and stay on the line,” Munroe said after the game2.

Pitching and Defense Seal the Win

Forbes continued to shine on the mound, tossing 5.2 innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits, four walks, and two hit batters while striking out nine. He worked out of trouble in both the second and third innings, and his ability to limit damage was crucial2 3 6.

Miami’s bullpen managed to stop the bleeding after the third, but the Hurricanes’ offense could not recover. They finished the game 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners overall, a testament to Louisville’s timely pitching and defense3 6.

Weather Delays and Home Crowd Energy

The game was affected by rain and lightning delays, including a half-hour postponement before first pitch and another delay in the bottom of the eighth. Despite the interruptions, the Louisville crowd remained engaged and provided a significant home-field boost, something Forbes acknowledged postgame: “The crowd is huge for the momentum. That’s just the home field advantage part of it. Getting the runs across deflated them just a little bit, enough for us to gain a bigger lead. So the crowd was huge, and it was a great showing from all of the Cardinal fans”2 8.

Key Performers and Statistics

Player	Team	Performance
Jake Munroe	Louisville	2-for-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, SF
Garret Pike	Louisville	1 HR, 2 RBI, reached on error to spark big inning
Patrick Forbes	Louisville	5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 HBP, 9 K
Max Galvin	Miami	3 hits
AJ Ciscar	Miami	2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R (6 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR allowed

Team Hitting Stats:

Louisville: 8 runs, 8 hits, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs with runners on base
Miami: 1 run, 7 hits, 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, 12 LOB

Pitching:

Louisville bullpen: 3.1 scoreless innings to close out the win
Miami bullpen: Allowed just one run after Ciscar’s early exit

Turning Points

Second Inning: Miami’s Missed Opportunity

Bases loaded, one out: Forbes strikes out two to escape, preventing Miami from grabbing an early lead3 6.

Third Inning: Louisville’s Five-Run Explosion

Miami error with bases loaded opens the floodgates, followed immediately by Munroe’s three-run homer2 4 6.

Munroe’s Sacrifice Fly in Fourth

Added insurance, making it 8-1 and effectively putting the game out of reach2 3 7.

Miami’s Struggles

Miami’s inability to deliver with runners in scoring position was the story of the night. The Hurricanes stranded eight runners in the first four innings and finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position3 6. Defensive miscues, especially the throwing error in the third, proved costly and allowed Louisville to break the game open.

Pitching was also an issue, as starter AJ Ciscar was tagged for seven runs (six earned) in just 2.1 innings, including two home runs and a critical error that led to a five-run inning3 6.

Louisville’s Super Regional History

This victory marks Louisville’s 10th appearance in the Super Regional round and their seventh time hosting. Under head coach Dan McDonnell, the Cardinals are now 10-5 in home Super Regional games and have won five straight at home in this round since 20164. With one more win, Louisville will advance to their sixth College World Series and first since 20194.

Quotes

“The approach [was going right] and I was getting back to what gave me early season success. I was just trying to be calm, unload the baseball, and stay on the line.”
— Jake Munroe, Louisville2

“The crowd is huge for the momentum. That’s just the home field advantage part of it. Getting the runs across deflated them just a little bit, enough for us to gain a bigger lead. So the crowd was huge, and it was a great showing from all of the Cardinal fans.”
— Patrick Forbes, Louisville2

What’s Next

Game two of the Louisville Super Regional is scheduled for Saturday, June 7 at 11:00 a.m. EST. Louisville will send right-hander Tucker Biven (3-0, 4.37 ERA) to the mound, while Miami will counter with Griffin Hugus (6-7, 3.90 ERA)6 9. The Hurricanes will need to regroup quickly to avoid elimination and force a decisive game three.

Final Thoughts

Louisville’s 8-1 win over Miami in Game 1 of the 2025 Super Regional was a showcase of power hitting, clutch pitching, and home-field advantage. Jake Munroe’s historic night and Patrick Forbes’ poise on the mound set the tone, while Miami’s missed opportunities and defensive mistakes proved too much to overcome. The Cardinals are now in prime position to punch their ticket to Omaha, while the Hurricanes face a must-win scenario in Game 2.

AI Disclaimer: This post was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence using publicly available sources and official NCAA statistics. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to official NCAA and team sites.