Softball takes two against Georgetown

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball takes two from Georgetown 4-0, 11-0


-Kelly Meyers Rothberg not retained as women's golf coach.


-Joe Tartamella named St John's WBB head coach


-Oh, hail yes...opening night at Churchill interrupted by the elements


Cardinal pitching recorded two shutouts Saturday and allowed just five Georgetown hits in 12 innings. The Cardinal bats exploded for 19 hits and 15 runs against the Hoyas. Louisville goes to 46-2 with the wins, and still holds a one game lead in the BIG EAST. 


GAME ONE

Louisville got a big performance from Katelyn Mann, who had two hits and a home run in three at-bats. The Cards tacked their first run on the Ulmer Stadium scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when Jennifer Esteban led off with a triple and scored on a Katie Keller sacrifice fly .


The Cards put three more runs up to complete the scoring in the fourth inning. Jordan Trimble homered  to left to make it 2-0 Louisville and after a Maggie Ruckenbrod single, Mann blasted the first pitch from Georgetown's Lauren O'Leary over the center-field fence to give UofL a four run lead. 

Tori Collins gave the Cards five strong innings of pitching...the senior allowed just one hit and struck out three. Chelsea Leonard got the save with two innings of two hit pitching.


GAME TWO


Caralisa Connell got the start in game two and Louisville gave her the only actual run she needed in the bottom of the second when Trimble doubled and scored on a Whitney Arion single. 


The Cards were nowhere near done touching home plate, though. 

Katie Keller started the third inning with a double. She scored when Alicja Wolny's fly ball was dropped. Taner Fowler smashed a line drive down the left field line next to score pinch-runner Chrisanna Roberts. Ruckenbrod made it 5-0 with a single. After Mann drew a walk, Arion got her second and third RBI's of the game with her second hit of the contest, a deep double to center. It was 7-0 Louisville and looking good.

The Cards added four more runs in the third. Keller led off with a walk, Wolny singled and Fowler reached on a error to load the bags with Cardinals. A walk to Trimble sent home Keller, Mann grounded out to score Wolny and Arion's double plated Fowler and Trimble to make it 11-0


Connell gave Louisville five strong innings to go to 16-1....allowing just two hits and striking out three. 


The teams will play the final game of the series Sunday. 


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After 12 years as the University of Louisville women's golf coach, Kelly Meyers Rothberg's contract will not be renewed for next season. The Cards recently finished play with a third place finish in the BIG EAST Tournament and are "on the bubble" for the NCAA Tournament. 


Not many details are available at the time of this printing about the move. Charlie Springer, of UofL Card Game, delivers the story at the link below:


Rothberg won't return as Cardinals' Women's Golf coach

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St John's has named Joe Tartamella as the new head coach of women's basketball. He has been an associate coach for the Red Storm for the past nine years. Tartamella takes over for former head coach Kim Barnes Arico, who recently accepted the head coaching spot at Michigan. 


Tartamella's scouting and game planning tactics have been a prime reason for the success the Red Storm has experienced over the past several years. He began as a Red Storm graduate assistant in 2002 and was promoted to associate coach in 2008. 

The Red Storm has been to four NCAA Tournaments and gotten two NIT bids since Tartamella has been at St. John's and he has helped develop 19 All-BIG EAST and All-Rookie players. 


Nice to see the Red Storm stay within the ranks with this hire. Joe is widely been seen a rising star in the associate coaching ranks and he has a talented and experienced squad returning for the 2012-13 season. 


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Hierro a hero for Julian Leparoux 

Opening night at Churchill Downs was interrupted between the fourth and fifth races last night when a strong thunderstorm with inch sized hail swept through the Louisville area. Racing resumed at 8:45 p.m. after a lengthy delay of almost an hour because of the elements. 

Hail in grassy area of CD paddock

Members of the jockey's guild and head of track maintenance Butch Lehr inspected the conditions after the track had been "floated" by tractors and deemed it OK to run on. Conditions were changed from "fast" to "sloppy" and the 10th race was removed from the turf and run on the dirt. 


Crowded and cozy conditions under the Clubhouse cover developed while mother nature unleashed her fury. A large crowd attended the start of the Spring Meet at Churchill. Almost 27,000. 

The start of the 8th race -- the Derby Trial --  was delayed about 30 minutes while a farrier tried to change shoes on the #4 horse...Nonious...in the paddock. area. The attempt failed, and the horse was finally scratched from the race. Post time favorite at 3-2 was Paynter, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia. Track conditions were still "sloppy" as the horses finally hit the race track and loaded into the starting gate. 

Hierro leaves Paynter behind near the wire

Hierro, ridden by Julian Leparoux and trained by Steve Asmussen, proved to be the best of the eight runners. A strong stretch drive pushed him past Paynter for the win. Finishing third was Stealcase and Bourbon Courage completed the superfecta. Hierro went off at 5 to 1 odds and paid $12.00 to win. 


Fun times at the Twin Spires Saturday night. A crowd of over 26,000 outlasted the elements and enjoyed acts from Circus de Soilel out the the paddock area...as well as a DJ pumping the grooves out. 

Party in the Paddock!

Night racing at Churchill is nothing like the regular days of racing at the Central Ave. oval. The crowd is younger, larger and more lively. It's a fun and welcome diversion from the normal events and activities at Churchill. It gets people through the gates and although some racing purists stay away because of the party-style antics and Mardi Gras feel to the track on those evenings...it is a energy-drink boost to an industry that will accept and certainly needs all the new fans it can handle. 


WE talked to John F.. (last name withheld by request) about the difference the Downs takes on at night...

John also likes Keeneland

"It's fun...almost electric out here at night. The girls are everywhere and looking fine. Me and a few buds...we don't ever miss a night racing event out here. I went online and got tickets for $5 each.  And, the racing is fun too. I mean, I caught the best jockey out there, in Julian Leparoux, tonight on a 5-1, man! If you're a good handicapper, you can cash out sweet here on racing nights, because the odds are there if you know what to look for. And, there are babes everywhere..." 


Derby one week away...racing resumes at CD on Tuesday.


If you like reading about horse racing, here's one of many sites that cover the sport. 


The Rail


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