Softball wins vs. Villanova, Lacrosse beats Cincy

MONDAY at CARDINAL COUPLE .
.
 -12-5 Lady Cards Softball wins over Villanova.
 .
 -Lacrosse downs Bearcats 18-15
 .
 -NCAA: A need for change?
 .
 -The Watson Awards for Lady Cards basketball.
 .
 The University of Louisville softball squad won the rubber match in the three game series against BIG EAST foe Villanova convincingly yesterday at Ulmer Stadium...downing the Villanova Wildcats 12-5. Once again, freshman pitcher Caralisa Connell took the mound for Louisville and went the distance for the Cards. She pitched all 21 innings this week for Louisville.
 .
The news on Tori Collins, ace of the Louisville pitching staff, is that she is out three weeks with a stress fracture. With pitcher Chelesa Leonard out also with injury...looks like Connell is going to get all the work she wants.
 .
Louisville jumped on 'Nova early in this one. A Maggie Ruckenbrod single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first brought home two runs to give Louisville a 2-0 nod. Nova would counter in the top of the third. Molly Manning slammed a based loaded grand slam to put Nova up 4-2.
.
Louisville had not put the bats away yet, though. In the bottom of the third, the Cards erupted for six runs...aided by bases loaded singles by Taner Fowler, Hannah Kiyohara and Jennifer Esteban. A fielding error by Nova added to the Cardinal total and they led 8-4 after three. Villanova got one back in the top of the fourth but Louisville added four more in the bottom of the inning when Katie Keller tripled home Kiyohara and Esteban and then scored on a Alicja Wolny double. Colby Wherry singled home Wolny to make it 12-5 Cards.
 .
Connell kept the Wildcats scoreless the rest of the way, going to 8-4 on the season. She allowed five runs, seven hits and struck out three. Louisville travels to DePaul next for a Wednesday doubleheader.
 . .
************************************************************************************ .
.
Louisville Lacrosse took a hard fought match over Cincinnati Sunday at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium 18-15, getting three goals and three assists from Liz Lovejoy. The Cards (7-1, 1-0) used all three goalkeepers in the contest. Ashley Herbst, the normal starter for Louisville, was spelled by last year's starter Danielle Pawliw. Pawliw spent 17 minutes on the field before relinquishing save duty to backup Katie Zoeller, who finished with seven minutes. Herbst was credited with the win.
 .
Louisville led 13-6 at the half but had to withstand a furious Bearcat rally that saw them come from a 16-9 deficit and shut out the Cards offense over the final seven minutes of the game.
 .
Nine different players scored for Louisville. Lianne Bobal had four goals, Katie Oliverio added three and leading Cardinal scorer Bergan Foley was held to just two. Louisville hosts Vanderbilt on Wednesday at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium. Game time is 3 p.m.
. *************************************************************************************
.
Congratulations to Connecticut, Duke, Baylor, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Stanford, Notre Dame and Gonzaga on advancing to the "Great Eight". We do have to tale to task, though...some of the placement favoritism's of the NCAA Selection Committee, though. You know where we're going with this...
.
Does Gonzaga, an #11 seed coming into the NCAA Tournament, rate a possible four home game or home city stand? I realize that the Spokane Regional was set before the selections were announced, and the NCAA is most concerned about attendance (which equals dollars) at Regional sites, but explain the keeping of a #11 seed there? No doubt, the crowd would have diminished dramatically without the Zags present in Spokane for the first three games in the city...but are finances more important than equality? We have no problem keeping the top four seeds in each region at home or as close as possible to home for the first and second rounds...but extending it to the #11 seed is pushing it.
.
Would Gonzaga have fared as well against Iowa, UCLA and Louisville at a neutral site like Dayton or Philadelphia? Did Baylor and Texas A&M benefit by playing in Dallas? A closer look at first and second round match ups is in order and attendance questions and issues need to take a back seat to fair competitiveness and match ups.
.
We don't claim to have all the answers and realize that some "home cooking" when it comes to site placement for teams is inevitable. We do think, however, that closer scrutiny is needed when the field is being set and determinations on where teams are going is made. Cardinal fans were tickled that the Louisville team was only less than two hours away for their first two games and they responded to it by travelling well for the Sunday and Tuesday match ups.
.
It is obvious, though, that the site and selection was set to ensure that #2 Xavier would have a fairly easy trip to reach the Regionals. That strategy backfired when the Cards upended the Musketeers on their home court. Top four seeds deserve the right and respect of favorable site assignment because of the work put in during the regular season but only in the First and Second rounds. After that, maybe it's time to do a re-seeding and re-ranking of the sixteen that have survived.
.
As far as the games went over Saturday and Sunday, Sonja showed her superiority over Paul and David by selecting seven out of the eight that advance to the Great Eight. Louisville her only blemish. Paul had five correct and David four. Guess we know who the Queen of Women's College Basketball is around Cardinal Couple is...and it isn't Co-Co.
 . ************************************************************************************* . .
Looks like we not done with David Watson yet. He sent this article, announcing the self-titled Watson Awards for UofL Women's baskeball.
.
I'm initiating the inaugural year of the WATSON AWARDS for the UofL women's college basketball team. No trophies, scholarships or monetary payouts are available or being awarded. The honor and prestige should suffice:
 .
 THE DAVID WATSON MVP AWARD.
.
 Has to go to junior Monique Reid. The Cards leading scorer on the team, a first team BIG EAST selection and the logical choice. We saw just how must Louisville did miss her when she got injured before the Gonzaga game.
 .
THE DAVID WATSON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD.
.
 Shoni Schimmel. Took a starting role right off the bat, ran the point and the "2" guard spots interchangably and effectively and was the leading three point threat. The shiniest apple on the teacher's desk of the six freshmen.
 .
THE DAVID WATSON MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD.
 .
 Asia Taylor. Became a regular starter this season and a fierce competitior around the boards. Also improved light years from the free throw line. Nex tyear could be a breakout year for the soon to be junior.
 .
THE DAVID WATSON 100% EFFORT AWARD.
.
 Tough call but I go with Tia Gibbs. She waited a year to get back out on the court and made up for the wait from Day 1. Wherever she fits into the picture next year, remember one thing: She'll give it all she has.
.
THE DAVID WATSON BEST OFF THE BENCH AWARD.
.
 Another tough one to designate because the starting lineup changed around for Louisville, but I have to go with spark plug Shelby Harper. She has a way of shaking things up when she comes off the bench and does what she does and is asked to do well, in a reserve role. . Have a great off-season, everybody. . I'll check in from time to time. David.
 .