Final set for NCAA WBB...Bears vs. Irish

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-UofL Softball falls to DePaul 3-0


-Notre Dame, Baylor to play Tuesday night for title


-CARDINAL COUPLE Pick 'Em Contest has a couple of scenarios left. 


-Chunky Monkey and other assorted Lady Cards cinema


The University of Louisville softball team finished their three game series against the DePaul Blue Demons with a 3-0 loss Sunday afternoon in Chicago. Kirsten Verdun was the only pitcher to beat Louisville (29-2) this year and she duplicated the feat again Sunday...limiting the Cards to just two hits. 

This one was decided early. By Verdun. After two DePaul players reached on a walk and error in the bottom of the first inning, Verdun cleared the bases with a bomber over the left field fence. 3-0 DePaul. 


Louisville would put their two hits together in top of the sixth when Whitney Arion and Maggie Ruckenbrod started the inning with singles. Verdun, though, retired the next three Cardinal batter to eliminate the threat. 

The Cards return home and will host the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday. Tickets are $5 and available at the UofL Ticket office. CARDINAL COUPLE will be there to cover the game and even offer to take a turn at the plate and see if they can help shore up the absent offense of late.


Louisville managed just one run against the Wildcats last week and scored just six runs in three games vs. DePaul. It's obvious to us that the competition level Louisville has been facing has taken a step up...as has the pitching.


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The NCAA Womens' Basketball Championship Game will take place Tuesday night in the Pepsi Center in Denver and the participants will be Baylor and Notre Dame. 

The Irish survived a frenetic final minute against UConn last night to stagger into overtime. Notre Dame broke open a 70-70 tie in the extra session, though, with some timely threes from Brittany Mallory and Natalie Novosel to send the Connecticut Huskies home 83-75.


Have to wonder...if Step Dolson hadn't been saddled with four fouls most of the second half...could the Huskies have continued the dish and paint play that led them to a three point half-time lead? 

Notre Dame returns to the final game to take care of some unfinished business. They were there last year and lost to another BIG 12 school in Texas A&M. They get the Baylor Bears (39-0) Tuesday. 


Baylor took control midway in the first half in their game against Stanford last night and despite the double and triple teaming of Brittany Griner by the Cardinal defense...Odyssey Sims and teammates were able to step up and win 59-47. 


Tuesday night will be a re-match against two schools who met earlier in the season. Baylor won that one 94-81 in Waco. 


We'd also like to extend our congratulations to the KENTUCKY WILDCATS for their Saturday win over UofL and wish them the best of luck tonight against the Kansas Jayhawks this evening in he NCAA Men's Final game.

Act like you've been there before, Wildcat fans, regardless of the outcome. 


Burning couches and automobiles are bush league. Celebrations are meant to be such that, not random acts of violence and destruction. Moderation is the key.

Our second nominee for the "What was I thinking?" award goes to former UofL and current Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino, who dumped his motorized hog in the streets of the Razorback State Sunday. Petrino was hospitalized but is not in serious condition. 


WE say...seriously? Especially to the governing board of Razorback sports. You're paying HOW MUCH? a year to this guy to guide your football team and there's no codicil in his contract that prevents him from being Easy Rider? 


And, to you, Mr. Bob...pretty silly behavior for someone in your position, sir. Or...is this your next job-jumping career move...leaving college coaching to become the next Evil Knievel? Cue up the Steppenwolf golden oldie Born to be Wild.  


Whatever...


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Speaking of final match-ups and destructive behavior...we get a report from Commish Mark on the CARDINAL COUPLE NCAA Womens' Basketball Pick 'Em Tournament. 


Going into the final game the top five are:


Paul's Experimental Bracket (which does not count) 148 
stark61 142
PDX Phil 131
Marks on Walz 127
LouavulFan 126


Lady Cards bracket (Commish Mark) is 12th with 112 points BUT CAN STILL WIN. 


SOME NOTES, SCENARIOS and OBSERVATIONS

-Looks like the P.E.B. (Paul's Experimental Bracket) "WINS" regardless of how anyone else or how the Baylor vs. Notre Dame game ends up. This bracket, which came out of the highly secretive CARDINAL COUPLE Think Tank and Sandwich Delivery Division deep in the secret lair of CARDINAL COUPLE far below the Parrish House facilities, was constructed by some of the world's most brilliant and "out of the box" (more like out of the "Ha-Ha" hotel) thinkers, dreamers and dissidents. 


-In reality, it was just taking the better seed in each of the 63 games. Some food for thought for next year. Paul thought he had a second entry and his picks entered as well in the contest. We've been able to determine that special Scandinavian scanner and hacking technology was used to enter the CARDINAL COUPLE Bracket Picks and remove this apocryphal entry. We'll get you next time, my pretties...


-stark61 is your winner if Baylor wins Tuesday and this entry would have a total of 174 points.


-Lady Cards is your winner if Notre Dame wins. This would give Commish Mark 144 points...narrowly defeating stark61

Paul has a statement prepared for media outlets at the conclusion of the CARDINAL COUPLE NCAA WOMENS BRACKET PICK 'EM CHALLENGE and CRAWFISH BOIL. Here's an exclusive peek at it: 


"I offer my sincere congratulations to _______________, the winner of the second annual CARDINAL COUPLE WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET PICK 'EM CHALLENGE. You are the fortunate winner of the Panera Gift Card and you have earned the respect, admiration and acknowledgment of participants worldwide with your superior skills in bracket selections. As competitors on the field of honor, we all are winners today...regardless of how our brackets did. At CARDINAL COUPLE, we pride ourselves and are in gratitude for our readers' philosophy that sportsmanship, competition and hard work are the real winning features of contests...not just the final score. 


The great philosopher and iconic spokesman George Carlin once commented that there are seven words you can't say on the air, and I'd like to incorporate all those in congratulating you....but I'm late for darts...so, way to go________________and here's to you! (Extends hand and gives one-finger salute). 


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Mark also sends these video clips of Lady Cards Asia Taylor, Nita Slaughter and Bria Smith. Ah, for the fun and carefree days of college again...


Chunky Monkey


Singing It

(The second one is best viewed if standing on one's head)


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