LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Interstat) — The Louisville Cardinals erupted for three runs in the first inning and never looked back, cruising to a 9-1 victory over the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday at Jim Patterson Stadium to avoid a series sweep.

The Cardinals, who dropped the first two games of the weekend set by scores of 4-3 and 13-4, improved their season record to 1-2. Michigan State, which had opened the year with two straight wins, fell to 2-1.

Louisville’s offense was relentless from the outset, capitalizing on early Spartan mistakes to seize control. In the bottom of the first, Eddie Alicea led off with a bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error. After a walk and a stolen base by Dylan Moore, Brandon Slanker reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, allowing Alicea to score the tying run. Isaac Elam followed with an RBI single, and Trent Davis added a run-scoring fielder’s choice to stake Louisville to a 3-0 lead before Michigan State recorded an out.

The Cardinals extended their lead in the second. A single by Logan Hot, a wild pitch, and an RBI single from Moore made it 5-0. Louisville starter Jack Danilowicz kept the Spartan bats quiet, allowing just four hits over six shutout innings while striking out seven.

Michigan State’s lone run came in the eighth inning. Jasen Oliver walked and advanced to third on a single and a wild pitch. Ryan McKay’s groundout to first base brought Oliver home, preventing the shutout. The Spartans managed only four hits total and struck out 13 times.

Louisville put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh inning. With two on and two out, Alicea delivered the decisive blow, a two-run single up the middle that scored Gavin Crain and Luke Nugent. Moore followed with another single to load the bases, and two more runs came across on a walk and a hit batsman with the bases loaded.

Alicea finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Moore went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Elam and Davis each added two hits for the Cardinals, who tallied 13 hits as a team.

For Michigan State, Randy Seymour had a double for one of the team’s few offensive highlights. Spartan pitchers combined to issue seven walks and hit two batters.

The most important part of the game was the first inning. Louisville immediately responded to the pressure of avoiding an 0-3 start by aggressively manufacturing three runs on a combination of speed, timely hitting, and capitalizing on Michigan State’s defensive miscues. This early outburst established a commanding lead and set the tone for the entire contest, allowing Danilowicz to pitch with confidence and the Cardinals to play from ahead throughout the afternoon.

Interstat’s ELO system had projected Louisville with a 74.30 percent probability to win.

Michigan State travels to face Texas for a three-game series starting Friday. Louisville will host Xavier on Tuesday before heading to Arlington, Texas, for a weekend tournament featuring games against Nebraska, Michigan, and Auburn.