Softball's Seventh Inning Spark -- Individual Awards -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

I may not be Paulie, but today is still Thursday.  Due to some traveling I was unable to write Friday's article so the boss man and I changed days.  In fact, I am writing this article Wednesday night with it set to publish Thursday morning.  By the time this article appears on our wonderful Cardinal Couple site I should be on a plane bound for Tallahassee.

Softball Ignites in Seventh Inning to Defeat Indiana

Louisville softball posted their fourth double-digit run total in six games as they took down Indiana 11-7.  Led by Sidney Melton's three RBIs the Cards capitalized on 14 hits and a whopping five errors by the Hoosiers.

Louisville got on top in the third when Nicole Pufahl's bases loaded sac fly drove in Sidney Melton.  They loaded the bases again the next inning and found more success, adding a trio of runs.  A passed ball scored Riley Schindler.  Melton's single drove in Blaire Bass and Celene Funke.

Indiana answered in the fifth when Maddie Westmoreland's two-run single cut the lead in half.  An RBI bunt added a run in the sixth for the Hoosiers.

The flood gates opened up in the seventh and the runs came pouring in for the Cards.  Nine hits and two errors resulted in a seven-run inning and a lead that extended to eight.  Because the eight-run mercy rule does not take effect until after a complete inning Indiana had one last chance.

A pair of walks and three hits helped Indiana put up four runs in the seventh, but their rally fell short as Louisville walked out of Andy Mohr Field with a victory.

Danielle Watson, back in the lineup after a mid-season injury, took the win to improve to 14-7.  Megan Hensley closed out the game for her third save this season.  Melton added another successful steal to her name while Funke did not register a stolen base attempt.

The Cards travel to Florida State for a Saturday-Sunday-Monday series.  You can catch my beautiful girlfriend and I in the crowd for the first two games.

Caroline Blalock Earns National Rookie of the Week Honors

After a solid outing against Virginia last weekend Caroline Blalock received forty percent of the votes on route to claim ILWomen National Rookie of the Week.  The freshman leads the Cards with 41 goals and nine hat tricks, as well as leading in seven other categories.

Blalock is one of "the sisters" on the UofL Campus for Louisville Lacrosse. Sarah, also a freshman, plays for the Cards and also starts.

Katie Walsh and Erin McCrudden Travel to Chile

Two of field hockey's biggest stars, junior Katie Walsh and recent alumna Erin McCrudden, were named to the USA Field Hockey National Development Squad.  They will compete in four games in Santiago, Chile in late May.

Louisville is near the end of their spring Field Hockey exhibitions and participated Saturday in the Michigan Hockeypalooza with matches against the UofM and Northwestern.

Asia Durr in the 3x3 Championships

As if she could ever get tired of basketball Asia Durr has found a way to stay busy this off-season. Louisville's leading scorer will be competing in the 2018 USA Basketball Women's 3x3 National Championships.

Some of the event's other participants are Kristine Anigwe (California), Napheesa Collier (Connecticut), and Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame).  They will compete April 21-22 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado....they're a part of 18 college atudent-athletes that will look to represent the USA .

Cardinal fans may remember a few years back when Sara Hammond did the same for the USA 3x3 squad.

Good luck "Nite-nite" and if you get teamed up with Arike, be sure to introduce yourself to her.

Happy National Humor Day! I got hit with a can of Coke the other day, but don't worry, it was a soft drink.

Enjoy your Thursday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Softball Visits Indiana -- Cards Beats Cats -- High Five -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Travels to Bloomington

Nearly one month after the original scheduled date, Louisville and Indiana will square off for an out of conference game.  March 20 saw a downpour that resulted in a postponement.  The game is set for 5:00 p.m.

The Hoosiers are 18-24 on the year, but surprisingly post a 10-2 mark in conference play.  Season highlights and low-lights include starting the year with seven straight losses, 1-3 record against ACC teams Boston College and Georgia Tech, and a three-game sweep against then-#18 Ohio State.

Indiana has struggled on offense, often lucky to put up more than one or two runs.  Rebecca Blitz bats .331 and has scored 22 runs.  The speedster has 23 stolen bases this season.  Maddie Westmoreland leads Indiana with 36 RBIs and seven home runs.

For Louisville, Megan Hensley leads the team with five home runs.  Besides her recently hot bat she is climbing her way through the record books at UofL including: 5th in career saves, 8th in wins, 8th in starts in the circle, 8th in appearances, and 9th in strikeouts.  Sidney Melton and Celene Funke are a combined 26-for-26 in stolen bases.  Caitlin Ferguson's 37 RBis are a team-high.

Indiana is on the rise while Louisville is slumping.  In terms of RPI and resume-building wins this game does nothing.  However, a loss sets Louisville back further, hurting their chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Baseball Tops Kentucky

One day past a minor snowstorm in town, the weather cleared up for a nice evening Tuesday night.  Louisville hosted Kentucky at Jim Patterson Stadium on the UofL campus and hoped to bounce back from an 8-5 loss in Lexington earlier this season.  Led by a mid-game offensive spark the Cards walked away with an 8-2 win.

The Wildcats jumped on top in the third on a solo home run before Louisville scored all eight of their runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.  Jake Snider hit a two-run home run in a 3-for-5 outing.  Danny Oriente extended his hitting streak to 10 games after recording a pair of hits.

Things got chippy in the sixth inning following Snider's home run.  The next pitch was a beam that sent Devin Mann's helmet flying towards the third base dugout.  Coaches raced out of the dugout to settle raising tensions.  Two batters later Josh Stowers pulled an acrobatic move to avoid an inside pitch.

Kentucky added a run in the eighth, but their rally fell short.  Louisville improves to 25-11 and improves their win streak to five games.


Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

When I first appeared as a guest on the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour in the spring of 2016 we aired from a small studio in the basement of a former house, now-store on Frankfort Ave.  The floorboards from the main floor squeaked and we were fortunate for it not to interfere with the broadcast.  Since then our host radio WCHQ has relocated to their own location on Melwood Ave, including a much-needed expansion.

The Magnificent/Majestic/Magical Media Mansion on Melwood has elbow room plus more!  Besides a full showroom there is also a broadcast room, a kitchen, a lounge, and an upstairs.  WCHQ has grown into tens of thousands of active listeners and followers.

Paulie brought the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour along several months after WCHQ was founded and they have been generous to us since, continuing to air the show live every Saturday. For years, a Soundcloud rebrodcast recording follow the day after.  Recently, a Facebook Live feed has been added, given listeners a different option to tune in.  The Facebook Live also gives a live look into the studio and allows viewers to interact with us in the comments section. Those faces made for radio now can be seen. The replays are also available at the station website

www.wchqfm.com

We also post the Facebook Live replays here on the site and provide sevveral places where you can "click" on them to see the carnage.

We are pleased that the "monk" and the "punkin" continue to host the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour.  Besides the 11-12 Saturday tune-in from most of you, I highly encourage everyone to check out the local music they have to offer around the clock seven days per week.  You can tune in on the radio at 100.9 FM, or listen online.

We give a "high five" to the hard-working people at WCHQ and to you, our listeners. Speaking of "high fives"...


High Five Day


Happy National High Five Day!  The "high five" was said to have been invented here in the great city
of Louisville.   During the 1978-79 basketball season teammates Wiley Brown and Derek Smith converted the popular "low five" into a gesture done above their heads, resulting in one of the biggest forms of celebration today.

It's also interesting to remember that Wiley had an artificial thumb on  his right hand that was removable.

On the day of the 1980 National Championship game, he left it on the breakfast table and the team had to send a trainer back to the hotel to retrieve it. Eventually the digit was found in the dumpster outside the hotel. Wiley was dubious, it seems, about wearing the strap-on thumb regularly so, on occasion, Wiley would exchange a "high four" instead of the "high five".

Enjoy your Wednesday and Go Cards!

- Jared -

Becky Burke named head WBB coach at University of Charleston -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FORMER CARDINAL STAR GETS NEW GIG


University of Charleston has hired Becky Burke as its next head women's basketball coach to lead the Golden Eagles into the 2018-19 season.

"Double B's" spent the last two seasons as head coach of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where she led the new Eagles program to a remarkable record of success in just two seasons of competition. In the second season of play, Burke led ERAU to a 21-6 overall record and a second-place finish in the regular season in the California - Pacific Conference (Cal-Pac) where the Eagles posted an 11-3 mark and qualified for their first Cal-Pac Tournament appearance. Embry-Riddle also recorded another program first in 2017-18, appearing in the top-25 national rankings as high as No. 24 during the season.

Burke's impact was immediate. In
her first season with ERAU she led the team to a winning record, with the Eagles finishing 14-12 in their inaugural season. She basically built the program from scratch.

Prior to taking on the job of building the Embry-Riddle program, Burke was a member of the staff at Saint Joseph's College (Ind.) where she was the first assistant coach for the 2014-15 campaign. She was primarily responsible for individual development at the guard position, along with implementing defensive schemes, as well as serving as the Puma's recruiting coordinator and strength and conditioning coach.

During the 2013-14 season, Burke was the director of basketball operations at California State – Fullerton where she helped the Titans record an 8-8 record in Big West Conference play.

We all remember, hopefully, her time as a Cardinal.  A 2012 graduate of the University of Louisville with a degree in sports management, She was the three-point threat on Walz teams and a part of three NCAA Tournament teams, including helping the Cardinals to the NCAA championship game in 2009 and to the Sweet 16 in 2011. Burke led the team in scoring as a sophomore and was second as a senior, averaging 13.8 and 11.9 points per game respectively. As a senior she tied the school record for three-pointers in a game, draining eight against Syracuse.

Burke's Louisville career ended as a member of the school's 1,000-point club and became just the second Cardinal ever to participate in the State Farm College Three-Point Championship her senior year, placing second.

Burke's playing experience at NCAA Division I and immediate success as an up-and-coming coach will be huge in rebuilding the Golden Eagle women's basketball tradition of success. "It's exciting to hear Coach Burke's enthusiasm for coaching the Golden Eagles" said University of Charleston President, Dr. Ed Welch. "She has played on championship teams and knows every detail about how to run a championship program. She is clearly committed to winning championships for Charleston."

University of Charleston decided on Burke following a national search for a new WBB head coach to replace Adam Collins, who was below .500 the past two seasons.

The Golden Eagles had (18) players create stats in the 2017-18 season and just two were seniors, so Burke will have plenty of student-athletes to evaluate. Three double-digit performers return and nine of the athletes on last year's roster were from Ohio....zero from Kentucky.

"Becky emerged as a talented leader that is most prepared to coach the Golden Eagles in this era of highly competitive college basketball" said Director of Athletics, Dr. Bren Stevens. "Coach Burke will be able to develop our student-athletes and prepare them for productive lives both on and off the court which aligns perfectly with our mission."

Don't get the program and University confused with the College of Charleston, which is located in South Carolina. It's not quite that huge and dramatic step up...but a significant one at the very least. They participate in the MEC (Mountain East Conference) with these West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio schools:

Glenville State, Notre Dame College (no, not the South Bend Irish), WVU State, West Liberty,  Fairmont State, Wheeling Jesuit, Urbana, Shepherd, Concord, WVU Wesleyan and UVA-Wise.

It's an NCAA Division II Conference., too...a step up from the NAIA. The Golden Eagles went 13-17 in 2017-18 season...8-14 in-conference.

If you are on I-77  headed to the West Virginia Turnpike and going south to ACC Country...you can see their football stadium right next to the Interstate.

 We're not sure whether B.B. could ever get Coach Walz to put University of Charleston on the schedule or not. They traveled out-of-state a mere (4) times last season.

We wish the best of luck to "the Burkes-ster" as she continues the pursuit and passions of a life-long dream of continuing in basketball after graduation. We'll be watching and...hey, Becky...if you find you're looking for a great three-point shooting guard...we know of one that recently left Louisville...

Another branch from the Walz coaching tree that is in bloom and one that basically started as a small twig and continued to grow and sprout. A long way from the Pennsylvania 4A Player of the Year days in high school. A long way from the heart-to-heart, let's sit down and talk and figure it out days with Stephanie Norman and Jeff Walz.

Becky Burke, CARDINAL COUPLE salutes you and....go "Coach 'em up!" From Eagles to Golden Eagles and originally a Cardinal...Burke continues to soar high and keeps climbing.


(Parts of today's article from the University of Charleston sports information department) 


paulie
xxxxx

The "New WCHQ" grand re-opening celebration -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

MUSIC, BEER AND FOOD MAKE FOR A PRETTY GOOD DAY

(I step away from...UofL women's sports today to discuss the events surrounding the radio station where The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour gang does their stuff on Saturdays.)

When the basketballs finally stop bouncing on campus, Softball swings out of town and Volleyball gets two of our esteemed staff in attendance for out-of-season action, it brings one to the dilemma on a Monday morning..."What shall I write about?" 

Half the Cardinal Couple staff, beloved Sonya and Mr. Mike Gilpatrick of River City Cards did attend an event of sorts on Sunday...the radio station where we apply our weekly nonsense was having a "grand opening" of sorts to celebrate "The New WCHQ". The weather decided to cooperate around 1 p.m. on the sabbath and the event went off as planned. Unfortunately, the temperature dropped after the rain went away and by 4 p.m....the thermometer was registering a chilly 42 degrees. Not the best of settings for an outdoor event. 

Nevertheless, a good time was had by most, it seemed. The live music at Apocalypse Brew Works (right across from the station and the event site) was fantastic with Jo Ann and the Dakota, Yon, and Cut Family Foundation.  These were the three bands we caught in our time there while working the "greeters booth"....which basically consisted of saying "Hi and Welcome!" to people, pointing out we had bumper stickers, information sheets and posters and answering various queries like "Where's the beer? Where's the bathroom? How much is the food? and Do you know if (fill in the blank) is here yet"? 

Apocalypse offers (usually) a dozen or so craft beers on tap during their Fri-Sun hours of operation. They had run out of several by the time Sunday evening rolled around. I don't presume to be the beer expert that our Worldwide is, but I tried a couple and liked hwat I hd. So did Sonya. The "porter" was a favorite...and by that I don't mean the guy who checks in your luggage at the airlines or train station.  

Mr "Anderson Jared" and "the Gilpatrick" arrived shortly before five...and we spent a very enjoyable two hours plus talking with them, listening to the sounds and commenting on what was going on around us.  I also got the chance to introduce Mike to K.C. Skull, the inaugural stadium manager of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Mike will, in all probability, do a story on "Colonel KC"...he is now retired and likes to hit Apocalypse o the weekends with his wife for a "beverage" and a bit of social interaction. I've known K.C. since the late nineties and could probably never do an article on him...based on all the wacky and clandestine things we pulled off as friends, members of the Parrish House and Sportsmen's Supper Club...without possible recriminations and possible investigations 

K.C. got things done. We'll leave it at that.

For the musical reviews...the first band we saw -- Jo Ann and the Dakota -- does original music that has heavy influence from the Beatles' John Lennon, her father and other 60's alternative bands and features her strong voice and song-writing, She named the band after the apartment that John Lennon lived in (THE DAKOTA) until he was tragically shot. 

She brings a non-stop energy to her performances that transcended out into the crowd and got a lot of attendees dancing in front of the stage. She plays an acoustic guitar and trats it almost as a dancing partner at times and the backing band expertly leads her through original ballads about life, relationships and society.

This is thinking music, not head-banging or political anthems stuff. The musicians are quite talented and they put on a great show despite the chilly stage.  Below is a link to one of their recent releases, a song called The White Rabbit (not to be confused with the old Jefferson Airplane song). 

LINK:

Joann and the Dakota

Performing next was YONS, an eight-piece local outfit that does rap stylings, hip-hop and featured three singers performing their crafts and words. I got involved with a few things going on at the booth and was involved in a discussion with a couple of the station DJ's at WCHQFM during their performance, so I didn't get to watch them as closely as I would have liked. All seemed to be intrigued by their performance, though.

I wasn't quite sure what "YONS" was or is, definition wise and no one around me knew. The only think that came to mind is the Shakesperian lines alluding to: 

Romeo: But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she..

The band was selling hats that were black and had the lettering [SPACE] on the front. That really didn't give me a clue either, so I went to the Urban Dictionary for a clue and knowledge about YONS and here's what I found:

Yons

YONS- formed from the Greek language meaning sexyness.

One sexy gorgeous brilliant cook and AMAZING IN BED. A kind-hearted, loving man who makes one happy with his attentiveness and desire to please. Wonderfully handsome and incredibly sexy, he oozes sex appeal. Fancied by all women that set eyes on him. VERY easily led astray but quick to realise his mistakes and try to make amends. Very intelligent. Sometimes pompous but not overly so. Sensitive. Funny. Brave. Strong. Gorgeous. Loves lists. A brilliant father and someone any lady would be proud to call their husband.

Yons is always right. 

In any event, they were well-received. I can't attest about the sexy-ness part. Below a link to one of the recordings that they performed live Sunday.

LINK:

YONS -- the-campaign


THE CUT FAMILY FOUNDATION 

They were my favorite performers out of the three we saw. They put out a "wall of funk" -- 80's style - in their performances and thoughts of Parliament, Funkadelics, Sly and the Family Stone, Bootsy's Rubber Band and George Clinton raced through my mind as I watched the five-member group lay down the grooves. Only thing missing were the "Horny Horns." 

They refer to themselves as "a musical think tank focused on good get down and hip dip inducing tunes". I'll agree. They even had ol' Paulie here up and off the bench and displaying a few moves and grooves while they played. They go so much farther that the description R&B or Soul.

Thanks to Kevin Cox and Bryce Gill of WCHQ for originally turning me on to them during the now-extinct MORNING JAM days! They were also instrumental, along with several other volunteer staffers,  in organizing and planning the celebration event. A "big" thanks to them. 

I've included a "T.C.F.F." set they did back in their early formations days at the link below: 

THE CUT FAMILY FOUNDATION

So, after the non-stop hustle of UofL women's sports over the last nine months, it's getting close to the time where we slow down a bit, look to do more interviews instead of straight-out coverage and explore some of many things that are involved in the "UofL women's athletics" genre. 

Yesterday, though, was a chance to do just a little bit of unwind for Paulie. A celebration our radio station's new facility, new directive and my own beginning transition into what we'll later refer to the "summer doldrums".  Worry not, there is still softball, lacrosse, rowing, tennis and several other sports to fill these pages this springs and the "knuckleheads" and I will keep you up on them. 

We gratefully acknowledge and appreciate our chance to bring you radio and Facebook Live once a week about the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports on the non-profit, community-oriented WCHQFM 100.9. All the hard work and volunteer hours that go in to programming and production, not just hours...obviously...but all the different shows, music and talk that make WCHQ truly unique. I humbly ask you give the station a try, via app, car radio, laptop streaming or any way you care to access it. 

Thanks for bearing with Paulie today on something that didn't involved balls, bats, nets, courts, fields, fouls or referees. You'll get plenty of that here just about every other day of the year. 

Hey, even Jeff Walz takes a break from hoops and goes skiing. 

I've linked up the home page to WCHQ  below. Give a listen.

www.wchqfm.com




Paulie
xxxxx

Saturday Action recap and The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

Lacrosse

The Lacrosse season is winding to a close, and unfortunately, the rebuilding Teeter squad is still looking for its first conference win.

The Laxers tangled with UVA for their final home game of the season, but went down to defeat 18-10.  The first half went swimmingly (if you'll pardon the word play on the generally rainy conditions for the day), with the lead being exchanged several times on the way to a 6-6 halftime tie.  UVA went on a 6-0 scoring run in the second half to achieve the solid win over UofL and sink the Cards' chances for a winning season.  Cardinal goals came from both Blalock twins, Caroline had 4, Sarah had 1, Madison Hoover with a pair, and Tessa Chad, Jillian Balog, and Ally Hall each finding the back of the net once.

After graduating four in 2017, and having 10 athletes leave the program via transfer, a coaching change (prompting one of those transfers to reverse course), we knew this year was going to be a rough season for Lacrosse.  The squad did reasonably well in non-conference play, but when it came to the brutal competitiveness of ACC play, the level of play for UofL just hasn't been there.

While there will be post-season play for the Laxers, all 8 ACC Women's Lacrosse teams go to the ACC tournament in Durham, NC, the prospects for NCAA tournament play are pretty much non-existant.

Now the next bit of bad news for UofL Lacrosse competitiveness.  Yesterday's loss to UVA was
senior day, and the Cards honored 11, count them 11, seniors.  Many of these players are names that we've written amount on these pages frequently:  Jillian Balog, Lexi Cheetam, Leigh Gatons, Madison Hoover, Emily Howell, Casey Madura, Taylor Webster, Julia Wood...and several more.

Scott Teeter is a fantastic coach, but he has a real rebuilding job ahead of him, and that process will almost certainly continue next year.  If there's an upside to the large degree of turnover, it helps Teeter bring in his process, tactics, and player types faster.  That is not to suggest in the slightest that the carryover athletes from the previous coaching tenure are in any way obstacles to Teeter's success as I believe the Louisville Laxers that have remained with the team deserve nothing but the utmost respect, but it leads to a different relationship and environment when the coaching staff has had a hand in the recruitment of players rather than inheriting them from another coaching staff.

Coach is adamant that the team has continued to improve as the season has progressed. Let's remember this is the ACC...the toughest Lacrosse conference in the universe. We have no doubt that once Scott is able to hit the recruiting trail and gather more student-athletes -- plus teach his system -- "The Teeter Way" of lacrosse. there will be much success ahead and continued improvement for the "Girls of the Ellis".

The Cards will wrap up the regular season next Sunday at Syracuse with a 1pm first draw. ACC Conference play follows that.

LINK TO POST-GAME BELOW:

POST GAME VIRGINIA WITH SCOTT TEETER, MADISON HOOVER AND JILL BALOG WITH PAULIE

Softball

 Softball was supposed to be in action in Syracuse yesterday to wrap up that series after splitting a double header on Friday.  Softball in April in Syracuse is always dicey, and sure enough, the rubber match was cancelled due to cold and falling temperatures.

Pearsall's squad will continue their road trip Wednesday with a visit just up the road to IU in Bloomington.  Hopefully better weather awaits.

The road trip continues the next weekend in Tallahassee with a series against league leading Florida State.  Our own Jared Anderson will be in attendance for two of the games, I believe, presumably wearing black, red, and likely a camera.  He will be joined by his lovely girlfriend, who will almost certainly be decked out in garnet and gold.  We're skeptical of how successful this relationship will be between a Cardinal and a Seminole, but also a little bit jealous that we haven't gotten a chance to meet Katy, yet.  Have a good trip and visit, Jared!

Volleyball

The ever-active Jared also was at the final UofL Volleyball Spring match with camera in hand.  The Cards welcomed Butler into Cardinal Arena.  The fans were left to their own devices, with no PA announcer on hand at all, but that didn't stop the Cards from rolling over the Bears.

The Cardinals theoretically won the match in a 3 set sweep, but with this being Spring exhibition play...a chance for teams to get extra practice and playing time under their belts, both coaches decided to go ahead and play a 4th set to 15.  The Cards won that one, too.

As with any sporting event, there are places to tune and improve, but the Cardinals looked great last night against this Butler squad.  In the extra 4th set, the Libero jersey got exchanged, with Alexis Hamilton donning the odd-man-out jersey, giving her some extra playing time.  She continues to impress your intrepid reporter.  I don't believe I've ever seen a DS fly around the floor quite like she does.  She's athletic, quick, covers an absolutely ridiculous amount of territory with accuracy and success in improving the ball that is, at times, just mind boggling.

Brianna Lester, as we reported, has returned to UofL, after a year at Pepperdine playing basketball, and a red-shirt freshman year on the UofL Volleyball squad.  She saw some significant playing time and impressed as well.  Look for her to be a 3rd middle blocker/hitter behind Jasmine Bennett and Piper Roe.  Speaking of Jasmine Bennett, maybe the highlight play of the night was Jasmine thunderously returning a Butler overpass.  I think proud papa Winston Bennett bounced as high out of his courtside seat to cheer as the ball did.

This wraps up the spring schedule for Volleyball and yours truly will certainly be ready for an exciting season that should start right at the end of August.  4 and a half months sure feels like a long time for this fan.

CCRH

The knuckleheads put on a good radio show yesterday.  The studio contingent was Paulie, myself and recurring guest Mike "the man with 4 first names" Gilpatrick.  We saw Daryl Foust pop into the Facebook live chat as well. The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour -- never a dull moment or waste of an hour. We even have podiatrists listening while they examine feet!

A good discussion ensued about Myisha Hines-Allen's prospects along with long-time Cardinal Couple favorite Asia Taylor with the Washington Mystics.  We recapped various events of the week, got a full Scheduling and Twitter segment in with only minimal interruptions, and even discussed some potential future in-studio guests.  Nothing is lined up for sure at this point, but we're hopeful.

Check out the stream at https://www.facebook.com/WCHQfm/videos/2002164653140141/.

(Photos today by Mr. Jared Anderson...the tall, smiling guy with the camera and good source of gossip!) 

--
JMcA

Spring Sports Galore -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Spring Events in Full Swing

Normally, on a Saturday morning in the spring, you'll find I've written about Friday evening's softball game. That's usually enough to get through an article, but it often puts the other sports in action to the side, not giving all of the women's sports we cover here the recognition they deserve. UofL has had a busy start to the weekend, in women's sports especially, so I figured that I would give a quick recognition to all of these teams as best as I could.

The aforementioned Louisville Softball team did play yesterday. They took on the Syracuse Orange twice, in fact. In the first game of the day, the Cards jumped on top with a 2 run lead in the top of the first inning. They would score one more run in the top of the fifth and hold on to win 3-2. The second game wasn't quite as fortunate. Syracuse took a 2-0 lead after back to back one run innings in the 3rd and 4th. Louisville got one run back in the top of the fifth, and then scored two runs in the top of the 7th to put themselves in position to win 3-2 again. Unfortunately, they could not hold up in the bottom half of the inning and Syracuse scored two runs to win the game. Louisville is now 24-17 on the season, having rebounded a bit with the series sweep over Virginia, and they'll finish the series against Syracuse tomorrow at noon.

Women's Tennis took on a top 50 ranked team yesterday when they traveled to Clemson. The Cards have been in an extreme rough patch during the conference season, and yesterday was no different. After starting the season 12-1 with a pair of conference wins over Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, Louisville hit the full conference stretch and stumbled mightily. Starting the stretch with a sweep loss at number 3 Georgia Tech, the Cards have since lost 6 straight and 7 of the last 8. Their lone win since starting the true conference schedule was a 4-3 squeaker over Virginia Tech at home. Despite the hard times the Cards have fallen on, there is still at least a little bit of time to recover before the post season. Louisville has a road match against Wake Forest on Sunday before returning home to take on Miami and Florida State next weekend. After that comes the ACC Tournament. If the Cards can recover just a bit in these last few matches, they may get a second wind going forward.

The Track and Field teams both took to Cardinal Park yesterday for the Louisville Invitational. It was an extremely successful meet for the Cards, with both the women's and men's teams taking first. The women topped Purdue and the men beat out Michigan State. With 10 wins on the day, the list of positive results for the Cards is long. Dorcas Wasike won the 5000m and set a UofL record in the process. All other results are available on the Louisville site, as Louisville T&F looks geared up for continued success.

Louisville Rowing got started at the Clemson Invitational yesterday and finished with a pair of top 4 finishes in the Varsity events. The Cards will continue that event this evening and look for additional success against a decent group of squads.

Women's Golf is at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Athens, Georgia, where Lauren Hartlage got off to a roaring start in her opening round. Hartlage shot 6 under par in the first round and currently sits tied for second after a 1 over second round. Louisville on the whole sits in 7th place in the event. They're 24 shots off of the leader, Alabama, but are much closer to other schools in the top 5. The event ends today, and Louisville will look for a strong finish in the last two rounds.

Louisville Swimming and Diving are at the TYR Pro Series Mesa event, where they've been since Thursday. Mallory Comerford, as she is wont to do, won the 100M freestyle for Louisville's second win of the event. The event wraps up today, starting at noon local time. Louisville has had significant individual success in swimming and diving recently, and it appears to be only a matter of time before the Cards can really put something together as a team. 

Women's Soccer was in action last night taking on their final spring opponent of the year at NKU. The game was originally supposed to be held in Louisville but was changed for unknown reasons. As is typical, there is no information available from last night's game, but I thought that I would mention it anyway so that you could all remember that I love soccer.

In addition to all of the games and events I've already mentioned, also in action today are Lacrosse  and Volleyball. The Lacrosse team is taking on Virginia at noon (weather permitting), trying desperately to recover from some of the lumps they've taken this season. Despite some disappointing results, Scott Teeter has definitely shown things to be optimistic about going forward with a program that was on the ropes. Volleyball is wrapping up their spring schedule with a match against Butler tonight at 6:30. This one is at Cardinal Arena and the exhibition is free.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

For a full hour devoted to chatter about all of the sports I've just mentioned, plus utter nonsense, be sure to tune into the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour on WCHQ FM. The CCRH is every Saturday (that's today!) from 11-Noon. Paulie will man the studio today, as normal, joined by Worldwide Jeff McAdams and Mike Gilpatrick from River City Cards. No phone call for me today, but the folks in the studio will have plenty to get you through your weekend. Check out 100.9 WCHQ FM, wchqfm.com, the WCHQ App, or WCHQ FM on Facebook to hear/watch the show.

Here's a link to the Facebook Live broadcast:
THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR 4/14/18

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-

Myisha Drafted 19th -- Jeff Walz Named U18 Coach -- Syd Zambrotta to transfer -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Myisha Drafted 19th in WNBA Draft

UofL's newest pro

Wiping tears from her eyes with a huge smile on her face Louisville forward Myisha Hines-Allen celebrated with her friends and family as she found out where life will be taking her next.  With the 19th pick of the WNBA Draft, the Washington (DC) Mystics selected the All-American.

Hines-Allen is the eighth Louisville women's basketball player to be selected in the WNBA Draft and the first since a trio of players went in the 2014 draft.  The 118 wins in four seasons make her the winningest player in program history.

Highlights from MHA's career include one Final Four and three Sweet Sixteens in four NCAA
appearances, tied for second at UofL in career double-doubles with 33, third in program history with 2028 career points, and second in program history with 1151 career rebounds.

She'll be with superstar Elena Della Donne and Cardinal great Asia Taylor on the Mystics roster. That sounds like a VERY powerful front line to us...in addition to the other "painters" on Washington's roster.

Congratulations to you, Myisha.  I know your accomplishments in the pros will be great.

Jeff Walz Takes No Breaks

What is Jeff Walz thinking?

It was announced yesterday that Jeff Walz will head up the USA U18 National Team.  His assistants include Delaware's Natasha Adair and UCLA Cori Close.

With the 2017-18 NCAA women's basketball season over Walz has a little bit of spare time outside of his recruiting trips and early preseason workouts to take on this responsibility.

The team will compete at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which dates and locations are to be determined.  The top four teams will qualify for the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Sydney Zambrotta to transfer

From a source on the UofL women's basketball coaching staff, we have confirmed that guard Sydney Zambrotta is transferring and has been given her release from the program.

"Syd is looking for a place to get more playing time, She's a great kid and we are doing everything we can to help her."  is the quote we got from a representative of the Louisville basketball team.

In two years as a Cardinal, Zambrotta saw 530 minutes of court time in 62 games and had 1 start. She scored 195 points and was 49 for 129 from the three-point range. Her career high was against WKU back on 12/11/16 when she scored 15 points.

A 5'9" guard from North Babylon, NY....Syd was a 4-star recruit and chose Louisville over Miami (FL), Minnesota, Pittsburgh and South Carolina.

We at Cardinal Couple wish her the best in her future court time and will always remember the "Three....ZZZZ" yell Sean Moth would intone after a successful trifecta. Good luck, Syd !!



Are Cheerleading and Dancing Sports?

To clarify, I am specifically talking about what the University of Louisville cheerleaders and Ladybirds do.  In Wednesday's article I wrote about how the groups won four national championships over the weekend.

The textbook definition of "sport" is "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment".

Going by the textbook definition both are sports without a doubt.  Their tumbling, movements, and pyramid-stacking would be considered physical exertion and skill.  When they compete against other schools in the championships  it would be for entertainment.

So why doesn't UofL make cheerleading and dancing part of their sports?

Cheerleaders pose with WBB

The obvious reason is because the NCAA doesn't recognize them as sports so if UofL became the only school to do so would be silly.  Secondly, the cheerleaders and Ladybirds are currently self-sufficient financially. Their car wash and spirit calendar fundraisers are just a couple of the fundraisers they participate in to raise money for uniforms.  The university covers travel and hotel expenses for NCAA Tournaments, but athletics does not offer scholarships to the groups.  Any scholarships the spirit members receive are on the academic side of things.

It is unfortunate that the NCAA will not recognize cheerleading and dancing as sports, but hopefully we will see more recognition for the groups in the future.  They do have more championships in their history than all of the other 21 UofL sports combined...

Lacrosse and Softball

Rain won't melt lacrosse

Softball pushed their Friday game against Syracuse up to 2:00.  It is on the road so make sure to tune into Twitter early for updates.  Women's tennis is enjoying the weather- warmer weather than the warm weather we finally have- down in Clemson and will start at noon.  Football (7:30) and men's soccer (8:00) both moved their games up from Saturday to today because of pending weather.

The wonderful SID for women's basketball and lacrosse, Nick Evans, also does some work with the Louisville Bats.  I spoke with him about weather affecting lacrosse on Saturday.  He laughed. Rain won't make the team melt... unless they're in the Wizard of Oz.  As long as lightning does not make it's way to Floyd Street they are still set to go at noon on Saturday.

Besides being Friday the 13th (let's hope for some good luck) today is also Scrabble Day, Peach Cobbler Day, and Blame Someone Else Day (the first Friday the 13th of each calendar year).  So just remember, it's probably Paulie's fault.  What did he do?  Who knows, but we'll blame him anyways until he passes the blame onto Sam Purcell.

Enjoy Your Friday and Go Cards!

- Jared -