CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDINAL COUPLE
We report on the joy and excitement of UofL women's sports here. Thanks for checking us out! Click the picture of Louie to hear the latest Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast!!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Playing catch up (or ketchup?)



THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Softball pulverizes Providence

-Katie Keller one of Top 25 Collegiate Player of the Year Finalists in Softball

-Lacrosse plays Friday

-Cardinal Couple "Pick 'Em" winner


(With all these basketballs, National Championship games and such bouncing around lately...we've fallen a bit behind on other sports and such. Here's some of what has gone on...)

CARDS CLUB PROVIDENCE IN TUESDAY DOUBLE-HEADER

The University of Louisville Softball team was in Providence, Rhode Island when the NCAA Womens' Championship game was played. We're sure they watched it after dispatching of Providence...and, unlike the WBB squad...they romped in fine fashion in two games.


LOUISVILLE 16 - PROVIDENCE 2

The Cards pounded the Friars for 15 hits and five home runs


in the opener...Katie Keller and Maggie Ruckenbrod two round-trippers each and Alicja Wolny with one...in the 14-run win.


Rachel LeCoq (13-4) got the win...pitching four innings of relief and allowing just two runs -- one earned -- and five hits while fanning two.

The Cards tallied one run in the first inning, three runs in the second -- from Keller's first homer -- and a run in the third. With the score 5-1 going into the fourth, Louisville got a two-run fence-clearer with Ruckenbrod's first homer to make it 7-1.

UofL added two runs in the fifth...Keller's second home run with Jasmine Smithson-Willett on board made it 9-2.

A seven run sixth inning followed. Seven hits...including back-to-back home runs from Wolny and Ruckenbrod....Wolny's a three-run shot...to set the final score at 16-2

LOUISVILLE 17 - PROVIDENCE 6

The Cardinal bats remained energized in game two...jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the visitor's half of the opening inning. Providence fired back with two runs but the


JSW!
Cards regained the lead in the second on a three-run homer from Smithson-Willett -- her first ever for UofL -- for a 4-2 advantage.


The Cards tacked on four more runs in the third inning. Wolny had a solo homer and a two-RBI single from JSW made it 8-5.

Louisville really battered the fences in the fourth inning with seven runs and seven hits. Doubles from Whitney Arion, Jordan Trimble, Katelyn Mann and Keller, plus RBI singles from Ruckenbrod and Hannah Kiyohara had Providence outfielders probably thinking they were re-living the bombing of World War II Germany. 15-5 Cards.

The Cards finished the blasting with two runs in the fifth. Taner Fowler's sixth home run of the year scored Ruckenbrod for a 17-5 lead. Providence added a run in the home half of the inning...but the game was well decided by then. 17-6 Cards. Caralisa Connell picked up the win (21-2) allowing just three runs and three hits in four innings.

The Cards return to Ulmer for a Saturday doubleheader against UConn (time for revenge for the hoopsters, ladies!) beginning at noon. The Cards are now 34-6 for the year and 7-1 in the BIG EAST.

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Katie Keller is one of 25 players selected as finalists for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

"Killer Keller" is currently batting .457, tops on the team, and has scored 48 runs, has 43 RBI's and 10 home runs. Her kudos so far this season also include the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week and USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week.

The Player of the Year will be announced at the opening of the 2013 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City on May 28th. The list will be narrowed to the Top 10 Finalists on May 8th. and the Top 3 on May 22nd.

Survive and advance, KK! Keeping hitting them were they ain't and over the fences!

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Lacrosse returns to action on Friday with a 6 p.m. start on the road against Syracuse.

The 'Cross Cards' bombarded Marquette last time out. Hopefully, the squad can pull off a huge upset against one of the best in the nation in the Orange.

If you heard our interviews Saturday with Cortnee "Dale" Daley and Kay Morissette, you know they are outstanding representatives for their team and sport, as well as intelligent and excellent conversationalists. And, they're just freshman!

They also got the "CCR" bump...both having great games against the Golden Eagles...after doing interviews with us that we played on the air.

Ask Sara Hammond...we provide the "good" mojo that the girls possess after being recorded an then played on the air with us.

Great. Now the entire softball and rowing teams are going to be stalking us for interviews whenever we're in public...
 
Truth is, we won't mind one bit. As long as we can get JSW (my favorite softball player) and Jordan Trimble (Sonja's) on the voice recorder. Hey, I had to replace Torrid Tori Collins with someone this year, right? Don't be judgin'. I like to pick' em early and follow them for four years...Jasmine Smithson-Willett has all the tools and talents to be a great one.

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Hats off to Keith B., winner of the CARDINAL COUPLE Bracket Challenge 'Pick Em...who went 52-11 in his selections. He narrowly edged out CARDINAL COUPLE staffer JEFF McADAMS, who finished 51-12. Neither had the eventual winner Connecticut as the champ. Jeff has already demanded a recount, audit and polygraph test.

Keith (last name and location withheld per request) is a fairly new advocate for UofL women's sports. He tells it:

" A buddy turned me on to ladies hoops back in Angel's junior year. I made a few games that year but didn't miss a home game her senior year. Even made the trip to St. Louis for the Final Four that year. Got season ticket for me the next season and been a season-ticket holder since then. Work prevented me from getting to a few games this year but I follow on-line or Twitter and, of course, here at CARDINAL COUPLE when I can't be there. I also like softball and volleyball. Haven't made it to any of those games yet, but I definitely plan on it."

Keith is divorced, the father of two boys and works at a hospital. He also likes MMA, the NBA and "Motown and old school" music.

The $25 Chili's CARD is in the mail, Keith and, yes I will take you up on taking me to lunch when you receive it.

-Paulie








1 comment:

  1. Congratulations Keith! I was out of it after the first round. Also congratulations to softball who is having another great season and to the women's basketball team for capturing our hearts and minds during their fantastic run.

    Hopefully, you'll still come to Tampa to play the USF Bulls once you are in the ACC.

    --Joe "Red and Black" Hill--

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