Zion Rose dropped in an opposite field single down the right-field line to drive in Jake Munroe and Eddie King Jr. to give Louisville a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. Munroe led off the eighth by reaching on an error by Arizona shortstop Mason White. King and Tague Davis followed with consecutive singles, setting up Rose's RBI hit.

For seven innings on Sunday, it appeared that Louisville’s bid for its first national championship in program history was destined to come to a quiet end. Fortunately for the Cardinals -- who hadn’t won a game at the Men’s College World Series since 2019 -- that was not the case.

The Wildcats lost the opener of the College World Series in a game full of quirks — a balk, fan interference, hits batsmen, and what Arizona coach Chip Hale called

Six conferences and an independent will be represented at the College World Series. None were among the final eight in Omaha a year ago.