LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The largest crowd in Jim Patterson Stadium history watched No. 2 Louisville defeat No. 8 Kentucky 5-3 in front of 6,210 fans on Tuesday night.

Fans packed the grandstands and some even watched from the bridge beyond left field as the Cardinals defeated the Wildcats 5-3 for their sixth straight win in the rivalry.

Kentucky was blanked by the Cardinals for 8.2 innings, but with two outs in the 9th Tristan Pompey singled in the infield to avoid a shutout. Leftfielder Zach Reks roped a single off Louisville first baseman Brendan McKay's glove to score two more runs. The game ended on Reks being thrown out while trying to steal second base and move into scoring position.

"I love the play stealing right there," Kentucky coach Nick Mingione said. "At the end of the game we're attacking. We're trying to get the tying run to second base."

Kentucky starter Zack Thompson was given the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on the night. He recorded just eight outs in the game. An error by Kentucky third baseman Tyler Marshall—his first of the season—kept the first inning alive for Louisville. McKay had an infield single and then Drew Ellis drilled a double down the left field line to score two.

"We didn't play well in the first inning," Mingione said. "If there's something that bothered me the most, I thought we gave them five outs in the first inning. That led to two runs and obviously that was the difference in the game."

The Cardinals added two more runs in the 2nd inning and one in the 3rd inning.

Kentucky's offense entered the game in the top 10 in batting average (.320) but it struggled to get timely hits against the Cardinals. The Wildcats had 11 hits in the game and had a runner on base every inning besides the 8th. Most frustrating of all for Kentucky was its inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position. The Wildcats were 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and 4 for 14 with runners on base.

Evan White had two doubles and Marcus Carson had three hits. The only other extra base hit for Kentucky came in the first inning on a double by Zach Reks.

Kentucky starter Zack Thompson looked like he was poised for a big night early. He struck out the first two batters he faced and then got Devin Hairston to hit a ground ball to third, but Tyler Marshall botched it and Hairston reached safely. An infield single and then a double put UK in a 2-0 hole.

Thompson never recovered. He threw 81 pitches in 2.2 innings, walked five batters, struck out four and allowed five runs, three of them earned.

"One thing I don't ever do is just jump and talk to pitchers," Mingione said. "I'll go and watch the command, I'll watch the location, I'll watch the execution. Then we'll make adjustments from there. Earlier in my career I'd get all caught up in the emotions of the game, then I learned the video doesn't lie."

Brad Schaenzer relieved Thompson in the bottom of the 3rd and got Colby Fitch to fly out in the infield to end the inning.

Schaenzer worked 2.1 scoreless innings before handing the ball off to Austin Keen in the 6th. Keen allowed back-to-back singles to start the inning but got a double play from Brendan McKay and a groundout from Drew Ellis to end the inning.

Clayton Cleary retired the side in order in the 8th and freshman Chris Machamer did the same in the 9th.

"I thought that was the story of the game," Mingione said about the bullpen. "Five consecutive zeroes. I thought all those guys did a phenomenal job. Even some of the hits they got, to their credit we made some good pitches and they got some hits. But the bullpen was the story of the game. There's no question."

Bottom 1: Kentucky starter Zack Thompson struck out the first two hitters he faced, but a two-out error by third baseman Tyler Marshall and an infield single by McKay led to a two-run double by Drew Ellis. Louisville 2, Kentucky 0.

Bottom 2: Three straight walks with two outs led to a Devin Hairston ground-rule double. Thompson got out of the inning by striking out McKay. Louisville 4, Kentucky 0.

Bottom 3: More two out damage for the Cards. After a leadoff double by Ellis, a sac bunt moved him to third with one out. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Thompson then hit Josh Stowers with a pitch to bring in Louisville's fifth run. Brad Schaenzer entered the game and recorded the final out of the inning. Louisville 5, Kentucky 0.

Top 9: Pompey singled with bases loaded to get Kentucky on the board. Reks singled to bring home two more runs but was thrown out while trying to steal second to end the game. Louisville 5, Kentucky 3.

Kentucky (21-9): The Wildcats travel to Starkville, Miss., for a three game series against Mississippi State. Kentucky has won its first three SEC series.

Louisville (25-3): The Cardinals host Wake Forest this weekend.