LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — The Louisville Cardinals will try to snap a two-game skid Thursday night when they open a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. with rain in the forecast and a game-time temperature of 72 degrees.

Louisville (26-19) enters the series opener on the heels of a 10-6 loss Tuesday to Indiana. The Cardinals have dropped three of their last four games but own a 7-3 record over their past 10 contests. Wake Forest (29-17) defeated Appalachian State 3-2 on Tuesday, winning for the fourth time in five games.

The matchup, projected by Interstat’s game simulator as a 6-5 Louisville victory, features a pair of key players who stood out in their teams’ most recent outings.

For Louisville, center fielder Lucas Moore has been a steady presence at the plate. Moore went 2 for 4 with an RBI against Indiana on Tuesday. Over his past 10 games, he is batting .348 (8 for 23) with four RBIs. Moore has hits in eight of those 10 contests, including multi-hit performances against Kentucky (2 for 4, 2 RBIs), Clemson (2 for 5, 1 RBI) and Indiana.

The Cardinals’ offense has been productive, scoring at least seven runs in six of their last eight games. Tuesday’s loss aside, Louisville’s pitching staff struggled in the recent series against Clemson, allowing 21 runs over three games — though the Cardinals won two of those contests.

Wake Forest counters with right-hander Duncan Marsten, who earned the win Tuesday with a strong outing: 6.0 innings, two hits, two earned runs and five strikeouts. The Demon Deacons’ starter has been sharp over his last three appearances, posting a 2.81 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 16 innings. In his three starts this month, Marsten has allowed only two earned runs in two of them, including a five-inning, no-hit, six-strikeout performance against UNC Greensboro on April 21.

The Demon Deacons’ offense has been explosive at times, scoring 22 and 18 runs in consecutive wins over North Carolina State last weekend. Wake Forest has won three of its last four home games.

Thursday’s game opens a critical three-game series for both teams. The clubs will meet again Friday and Saturday before Louisville travels to Vanderbilt and Wake Forest hosts Western Carolina next week.