Softball pounds Morehead, Girls Sweet Sixteen

THANK GOODNESS IT'S FRIDAY...at CARDINAL COUPLE!

-Softball Cards win 12-1 in five innings.

-Sweet Sixteen Thursday Games...

-The Sideline reporters Sweet Sixteen.

-Marra, Knowles advance the CARDS in BIG EAST and David Watson comments.

Chelsea Bemis (pictured here) and Maggie Ruckenbrod had the hot bats on a cold day at Ulmer Stadium...driving in four runs each in Louisville's 12-1 win over Morehead State. The Cards (12-6) got three strong innings from starting pitcher Carlisa Connell who allowed one run on three hits and Tori Collins threw two innings of shutout relief for Louisville. Connell is 4-2 on the season.

Louisville started the scoring in the first when Jennifer Esteban singled and came home on a Ruckenbrod double to give the Cards a 1-0 lead. Louisville would add five runs in the second. Hannah Kiyohara began the inning with a single and scored on a Esteban double. Bemis doubled to score Esteban. After Alicja Wolny reached first on a base on balls...Ruckenbrod took one deep to left for a three run homer...making it 6-0.

The Eagles got their lone run in the top of the third when they loaded the bases and scored on a Louisville fielding miscue. Connell was able to retire Morehead, though, with no further damage.

Lousiville struck again in the bottom of the third. A Chelsea Bemis triple got Katelyn Mann and Katie Keller to home plate and Bemis reached there when Wolny singled to make it 9-1.

The Cards lit up the scoreboard for three more in the bottom of the fourth. Louisville loaded the bases with two Morehead fielding errors and a walk. Christina Roberts tapped a fielder's choice that Tanner Fowler scored on, Sarah Anderson came home on a bases loaded walk and Roberts completed the Cardinal scoring when Bemis grounded out.

Louisville returns to action at Ulmer this weekend in the Louisville Softball Classic. Michigan and WKU come to town and Louisville will play each team on Saturday and Sunday.

.

************************************************************************************

.

First round action in the Kentucky Girls Sweet Sixteen concluded with four games yesterday:

-Sheldon Clark advanced over Boyd County 74-59. Three Sheldon Clark players hit double figures, including Carla Booth. Sheldon never trailed in the contest.

.

-Calloway County got past Newport Central Catholic in overtime 62-57. West Virginia signee Averee Fields had 30 points for the winners. NCC missed a chance to win it in regulation as time expired.

.

-Rockcastle County moves to the "great eight" with a hard fought win over Madison Central 55-52. Louisville signee Sara Hammond had 23 for Rockcastle. Madison led 32 -31 at the half and this one went back and forth until Angie Lawrence hit a jumper with 28 seconds left to make it 54-52 Rockcastle County. She was one of three in double figure scoring for Rockcastle.

.

-Clay County used a strong fourth quarter to get past Owensboro Catholic 61-48. They held a 40-37 lead after three quarters. Sophomore Becca Greenwell, the state's leading scorer had 28 for Owensboro in the loss.

.

*************************************************************************************

.

Tony Siragusa sneaks by Suzy Kolber in first round action in the CARDINAL COUPLE Sweet Sixteen of Sideline Reporters. Today's matchup is Jeanine Edwards vs. Allison Williams. Jeanine (pictured left) is a veteran sideline reporter and seems to find controversy everywhere she goes. Former UK head basketball coach Billy Gillespie embarrassed her on national TV during an 'at the half' interview. Then, this year...former ESPN announcer Ron Franklin used a slur and obscenity when referring to her during a production meeting during college football bowl season. Franklin was fired for the remarks. She also covers horse racing (never go with her selections...she's a horrible handicapper!) Allison Williams is the "next big thing" on the sidelines and has drawn rave reviews for her BIG EAST and SEC Women's tournament reports. She's pretty easy on the eyes, too. I know which one I'd rather have explain "deep penetration by the post" to me...

You can vote in the comments section or e-mail it to cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

.

To those who raised questions and offered protests about yesterday's guy vs. girl matchup...objection noted and over-ruled. And, there will be another one down the road as well when Eamon McAnaney goes up against Sam Ryan. We're equal opportunity and objective here at CARDINAL COUPLE. To those who are upset that ex-Pittsburgh Steeler and NFL sideline reporter Lynn Swann didn't make the sweet sixteen...get over it. I'm upset that Fern Creek's girls basketball team didn't make the Kentucky High School Girls Sweet Sixteen but you don't see me shedding any tears over it. (But thanks for the comments...).

.

************************************************************************************

.

Mike Marra and Preston Knowles led Louisville's men's basketball team to a win over Marquette last night. Marra had (6) three pointers in the 81-56 romp. The CARDS get Notre Dame tonight in the semi-finals. Game time is 9 p.m. on the four letter network. Rick Pitino says that this has been his favorite team to coach since he had eight future NBA player at Kentucky in 1996. David Watson says this about Rick Pitino:

.

Rick spins another win. All the worry about the mighty Marquette, Buzz 'the best young coach in the league' Williams and 'not deserving' the win last time against the Golden Eagles in the"Miracle on Main Street" went out the window in a flurry of Louisville threes and Marquette's dead legs. Rick wants none of this double bye stuff for the BIG EAST, you see. If the Cards hadn't received this dreaded double bye, though, they'd have the same problem going into the Notre Dame game tonight that Marquette had last night. Dead legs. According to Rick, none of the BIG EAST coaches, that holy grail of men in suits (and Huggins), wanted a double bye. I personally think that all this tournament stuff is way over-hyped and it serves to wear teams out before the NCAA. I'm told I'm wrong, I'm crazy and I don't realize the strength and resiliency of today's college athlete. All I know is I saw a bunch of worn out Golden Eagles in the last five minutes of last night's game. And, I won't be picking Marquette to advance in the NCAA Tournament, provided they get in and I think they will. Hey, this is my spin. If Rick can do it, so can I. The difference being that people listen to his and not mine.

.

DAVID WATSON is a special contributor to CARDINAL COUPLE and we think he'd enjoy taking 'spinning' lessons. Maybe he and Rick can enroll together...

.