Lacrosse, Softball win Saturday...WBB faces Pitt today -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

LACROSSE EDGES BY BOSTON COLLEGE IN OVERTIME

Hannah Koloski scored the walk-off goal with seven seconds left in overtime on a free position shot to defeat ACC foe Boston College 7-6 Saturday at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium. For the Lakeview, MN sophomore, it was a matter of performing what she practices every day: 

"On the eight meter, I do it every day. I just tried to calm down..I was a little nervous. Julia [Wood] was to my left, she said 'You got this, Hannah' So, I just took a moment, worked on my placement..where I was going to shoot and it turned out fine." 

It was Koloski's only score of the game...Boston College making a concentrated effort to shut down her and Kaylin Morissette throughout the contest and holding the Cards to a season-low eight points. Koloski had scored six goals earlier in the week against Vanderbilt...but this one came at the exact right time for her and her Lax teammates who go to 5-0 on the season and 1-0 in ACC play. 

It was a back-and-forth contest, Louisville grabbing an early 1-0 lead on a Kaylin Morissette unassisted score but Boston College scored three straight to lead 3-1 with ten minutes left in the first half. The Cards, with goals from Cortnee Daley and Kelly Gerding, tied the match with 4:39 to go...but BC returned the favor with a score at the 2:17 mark to take a 4-3 lead into the halftime tent. 


The opponents at Louisville Lacrosse Stadium spend the halftime break in a tent stationed in the southeast corner of the stadium.

After a reminder by head coach Kellie Young to follow the scout on Boston College, especially in terms of defensive pressure, the Cards tallied the first three scores of the final half when Morissette, Gerding and Stephanie McNamara all found the back of the net and held the 6-4 lead ten minutes into the action. 

BC would chip away at the advantage...tying the contest with 4:56 on the clock. They would have several attempts to score but key stops by goalie Brittany Read and McNamara sent the affair to a 3 minute overtime. BC suffered two yellow cards in the extra stanza, giving the Cards a plus two field advantage they ultimately took advantage of....Koloski giving Louisville their first win ever over the Eagles.  

Louisville Lacrosse steps out of conference Thursday to face #7 Northwestern at the LLS. 

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SOFTBALL SWEEPS ON DAY TWO OF RED AND BLACK CLASSIC

Louisville Softball got a huge pitching effort from Maryssa Becker in the first game of the day against Cleveland St. and timely hitting in the follow up versus North Dakota St. to win both of their game and improve to 9-4 on the season.

CARDS 6 - CLEVELAND ST 0

Junior Maryssa Becker struck out 11 C.S.U. batters and scattered two hits in the complete game shutout for the Cards. 

This one was a scoreless contest until Louisville broke loose for four runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Cards had only one hit but two walks, two errors and a sacrifice fly served the Cards well. 

UofL would add a fifth run in the fifth when Nicole Pufahl doubled to center, stole third and came home on a Vikings error. The Cards completed the scoring in the sixth when Megan Hensley crushed her fourth home run of the year to left-center.

Becker (3-3) faced only 23 batters in the shut-out win....allowing no walks and suffering just one error from her teammates.

Coach Pearsall was pleased with the outcome:  

 "We did a good job against Cleveland St...Maryssa throwing a great game and us taking care of business by getting the offense going."


CARDS 4 - NORTH DAKOTA ST 3


Louisville put Hensley in the circle for the second game and the Ashland, KY did her best...this was another scoreless contest through three innings. The Bison burst through for two runs in the fourth and that lead held until the fifth...when the Cards got a two-RBI double from Becker (playing first base in the nightcap). 

UofL grabbed the lead in the sixth when pinch hitter Jenna Jordan smacked a double down the first base line...advancing Lillie Goetz to third. A single and sacrifice fly got both home. 

The Cards were faced with a potentially tying situation in the seventh when ND St. put runners on first and third with just one out. Head coach Sandy Pearsall brought Becker into finish the job and she put out the fire with a run-down, tag out at the plate for out two...and a weak ground-out to finish it. 

Pearsall was impressed with the effort in game two:

"We knew North Dakota State was going to be a very tough opponent and we would have to play a great game to beat them. I felt like what we did was stay in it, got a good pitching performance from Megan Hensley and our team took care of business when they had to."

The Cards play again today at 2:30 p.m. with a rematch against the Kent State Golden Flashes. 

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WBB and Pitt today at 12:30 

THE UofL coaching staff  should dress like this today...who gets
the Wookie costume? 

This one, the Cards regular season home final, starts a little earlier than usual...on "Star Wars Day"in the KFC YUM! Center. 

Some surprises are promised...fans are encouraged to dress up for the game and prizes and giveaways are on the agenda.

I'll probably go as R2D2, Sonja as Princess Leah and we're encouraging WorldWide to portray Jabba the Hut. 

What would be a major surprise would be Louisville losing today to the Panthers. Pitt (12-16, 4-11) looks to be destined to play on opening day of the ACC tournament, losing to Georgia Tech 66-60 in their last game. The Cards romped UofP 84-61 back on Feb.11th at the Peterson Event Center. 

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FROM THE SOUNDCLOUD...

Our latest CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR radio show on WCHQ 100.9 FM will be available at the Crescent Hill website sometime today.

LINK: FEB 27th broadcast of The Cardinal Couple Radio Hour


We had a fun show discussing Louisville Lacrosse, Softball and women's basketball and had sound clips from Lacrosse head coach Kellie Young and midfielder Cortnee Daley.

Paulie also went on a rant about the questionable move concerning the NCAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT First and Second Rounds in Louisville and the Louisville Athletic Department offering advanced tickets to selected men's basketball season ticket holders 72 hours before women's basketball season ticket holders can purchase them (beginning Monday). 

I've already caught flak about that...believe me...but what's fair is fair and this move was simply shady and unfair to those who are women's basketball season ticket holders. Even if it does come down to a priority point assignment scenario...WBB fans got kicked in the crotch. 

paulie
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