In a game as fuhrcackta* as U of L’s 7-6 walk off over Oregon State to stay alive in the CWS, it seems here not as obvious as it may seem to designate the key factor for the victory.

*It’s a Yiddish word, probably misspelled, but I doubt I need to define it for you, if you were tuned into the 9th inning. (If not, shame on ya.)

Of course, slugger Eddie King Jr.’s gotta have RBI sac fly was the clincher.

But in an exciting game in which the Cards’ blunders in the top of the last allowed the Beavers to catch up, and a couple of miscues by OSU in the bottom set the stage for the good guys to steal it back, there have to be some small moments along the way which informed how these schools got there.

Or so I would opine.

Consider how it all ended for Alex Alicia.

With the bases loaded, the Cards SS booted a DP grounder, which allowed the tying runs to score in the top of the 9th. At which point, there were still Beavs on 2d and 3d with none gone.*

*I’ll get to how Louisville got out of that jam of jams in a moment.

Alicea, called the “heart of the team” by Dan McDonnell, lead off the bottom.

Instead of taking a hero swing on a 3-2 count, he eyed the pitch and took ball four which was close but not in.

After Lucas Moore reached on a catcher’s interference, a booted Matt Klein bunt by the hurler, King closed it with that long fly out.

As Alicea slide across the plate, you could see him pounding the turf in joy and relief. Which if he doesn’t trust his eye on that fourth ball to him might not have come about.

Then there was Tucker Biven, coming in on short rest, giving up a BB, then a single, and then watched that Alicea gaffe.

But he grabbed some breath. Buckled down. Got a strike out looking. Another K swinging. And induced a meek third out on a fly.

Meaning as Mr. Bunny advised within nanoseconds of the W, the Cards Did Not Relinquish the Lead.

Alicea made a play in the field that contributed in the top of the 8th, laying out for a stab, a rise and throw out at first. Which came right after Jake Schweitzer had induced a fly out after falling behind 3-0 to the inning’s lead off batter.

Garret Pike was replaced in the line up as DH.But Coach sent him in to pinch hit for Bayram Hot in the bottom of the 6th, after State had trimmed the Cardinals’ advantage to one in the top.

Pike hit a first pitch double. Scored when Kamau Neighbors stroked a two strike single, to get that run back.

And how huge was it that U of L got out of the top of that inning giving up a lone run, when the bases were full with 0 outs.

The Cards left two in the bottom of the 1st. But did score for a 1-0 lead.

Getting ahead early. Big.

Jake Munoe’s tater in the 3d with Lucas Moore aboard.

Duh.

Zion Rose solo shot leading off the Cards’ 4th got one back after U of L had given up two at the top. That there were only two surrendered comes thanks to Justin West’s fine work.

Lucas Moore’s running catch to end the Beavers’ 7th was yet another of many key winning moments.

So, in what SABR implored me to write is Louisville’s “most exciting trip to the CWS ever,” the Cards hung tough.

The gift for Tuesday’s W: A 2:00 Wednesday date with Coastal Carolina.

Which has won 25 in a row.

— c d kaplan