Softball Falls in Walk-Off -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Drop Heartbreaker 3-2

Louisville softball saw their season come to a sudden and somewhat surprising end yesterday when they were walked off by Virginia in the seventh inning of a tightly contested ballgame. The Cards took an early lead and added insurance late before ceding the tying runs in the sixth and the walk-off winner in the seventh. The loss knocked Louisville out of the ACC tournament, and they would need an absolute miracle to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament at 26-25. 

Louisville got the game off to an auspicious start, which may have been an omen for how the rest of the game would go. Easton Lotus sent a ball to left field to lead off and the Virginia left fielder was charged with a fielding error. Rather than have the leadoff runner on first base and nobody out, though, Lotus was thrown out at second trying to extend the advantage on the error. The Cards have been aggressive on the base paths all season, and it is frequently beneficial. Not this time. Hindsight is 20/20, but considering the fact that Louisville would strand two runners on base in the inning after Bri Despines and Maddi Grant each singled, it would have been nice to have Lotus's speed on first to start things off. 

Alyssa Zabala took the circle in the must win game and turned in a very quality start. She turned in three quick outs in the bottom of the first with a fly out, a foul out, and a groundout to bring the Cards back up to the plate. Unfortunately, Louisville's early success in getting the bat on the ball dried up slightly in the second, as a pair of strikeouts preceded a groundout and the Cards went down 1-2-3. UVA came to the plate with their second opportunity and earned their first hit when the second batter of the inning dropped a single into right center. After a groundout back to Zabala opened the inning, the runner on first with one out wasn't terribly threatening as Zabala forced back-to-back foul outs to first base to end the inning. 

Virginia turned to the bullpen early, making a change in the top of the third inning with the 9-hole hitter at the plate for the Cards. Chelsea Mack welcomed the new pitcher in maybe the worst way possible. Obviously a towering home run would be a rough outcome against your first batter, but how about a Little League home run instead? Mack bunted down the third base line and was very nearly thrown out at first. The closeness of the throw, though, worked in Mack's favor, as the first baseman couldn't make the catch as the two had a minor collision. Mack stayed on her feet as the ball sailed past first, and she took off for second. With the first baseman and right fielder both chasing the ball around in the foul area in short right field, Mack was waved all the way around to score and crossed the plate standing up. Louisville would put two more runners on base with Char Lorenz taking a hit by pitch and Despines singling for the second time in as many at bats. A strikeout and a fly out stranded another pair, though, and Louisville came back out on defense with a 1-0 lead. That's four stranded, two in scoring position, in three innings. Surely that won't haunt later...

Zabala responded to the Cards taking the lead by forcing another quick three-up, three-down inning before Louisville answered UVA in kind. Madison Pickens took a hit by pitch to open the fourth, but the next three batters went down in order. Louisville likes to play small ball and practices it a lot, so the first out of the fourth inning being a pop out to the pitcher on a sacrifice bunt attempt is definitely painful. Zabala came out in the bottom half, though, and put in another solid inning. UVA started to get the bat on the ball a bit more in the inning, with two fly outs opening the inning before a double. With two outs, Zabala stayed calm and forced a ground ball, which led to another one of those ominous moments. The ground ball went to short, but rather than throw to first for the force out with two away, the ball went to third to get out the lead runner. An odd choice, to be sure, since it wasn't a force at third. Louisville found themselves dealing with a pickle situation, which they ultimately completed by getting the out, but it was a strange choice given the options available. Louisville still led 1-0, but the defense was beginning to look skittish. 

The top of the fifth saw the top of the order step up again, but for the third time, they didn't do much. Lorenz, the recently named second-team All-ACC player, dropped a one-out single into left field, but she became the sixth Louisville runner to be stranded after a strikeout and a groundout ended the side. Virginia got their best chance to date with a single to open the fifth followed by a hard liner to left center. Lorenz was on hand to make the catch in left, holding the runner at first base. UVA batters thought they saw their opening to get more contact against Zabala, which ended up working out in her favor. The next two batters struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Camryn Lookadoo opened the sixth inning with a single and Pickens bunted her over to second with a sacrifice. Like I said, Louisville likes small ball. Lookadoo advanced to third on a productive groundout and Katie Thatcher stepped in to pinch hit for Taylor Monroe. The pinch hit call was a successful one, as Thatcher sent a ball between first and second to bring Lookadoo home to score. Monroe replaced Thatcher on the base paths, and Mack laid down another successful bunt single to put runners on first and second. In a game Easton Lotus might like to forget, she lined out to continue an 0-4 day and end the top half of the inning. Louisville extended their lead to 2-0, but stranded their 7th and 8th runners on base and their third in scoring position. 

Zabala returned for the bottom of the sixth and got a flyout to open the side. A single followed before a grounder to third turned into a bit of a mess. The groundball was too slow to third to think about a double-play, but Ally Alexander still tried to get the lead runner. Her throw was a bit errant, though, and the fielder's choice attempt was charged an error to Alexander with both runners safe. No big deal, said Zabala, as she forced a liner to left field and both runners were forced to hold. Another grounder, though, led to another misplayed fielder's choice. No error was charged this time, but the result was the same. Louisville failed to get the out (this one would have been the final out of the inning) and instead the bases were loaded. The defensive miscues came home to roost on the next batter, when a single into left scored an unearned run (remember the runner on third was only still on base because of an error). That wasn't all, though, as Lorenz booted the ball in left, earning herself an error and giving Zabala a second unearned run. With the go-ahead run at third, Zabala forced a ground out to end the inning.

Louisville entered the seventh facing a new ballgame. There was no time to dwell on having squandered a hard-earned two-run lead. It was now time to put up or shut up, as the season was on the line. With Lorenz due up to open the inning, Louisville couldn't ask for much more in the way of a chance to retake the lead. Unfortunately, Lorenz and Despines went down quickly. Maddi Grant doubled to right center and Riley Janda replaced her on the base paths. Janda's speed came in handy when she advanced to third on a wild pitch, but she was stranded there (9, 4 in scoring position) to end the inning. 

Zabala returned for the seventh, and many at home may question the decision given the outcome. Zabala had plenty of gas in the tank, as she has shown her ability to pitch extended outings, but Virginia seemed to have dialed in on her. A single to left opened the inning, but a fielder's choice made it one on with one out. Zabala yielded her first walk of the game at an inopportune time, putting runners on first and second with just the one out. That set up a difficult position for the defense, as Virginia just needed to move the runner 120 feet to win. They did it all in one go, as a double to left center brought the run in to score. Cards lose 3-2. 

Louisville was facing a top-25 team for the umpteenth time this season, and they had them right where they wanted them... until they didn't. Yesterday's game was a bit of a microcosm of the season at large, with things going well at times but head-scratchingly overall. In the end, it was a Louisville defense that has not been nearly as sharp as in recent seasons that came unglued. Pitching was good but not quite nails, and a questionable management decision may have cost the Cards an opportunity to win. At the end of the day, though, you'd like to see a team that is six outs away from continuing their season be able to convert a 2-0 lead into a win. 

Zabala was pretty good in this one, despite potentially being left in the circle an inning too long. She finished with 6.1 innings pitched, giving up seven hits, three runs (one earned), one walk, and she struck out two. If she had been replaced after six innings, her line goes to five hits, two runs (none earned) and no walks. You'd like to think a start like that would lead to a win, but so it goes. I'm certain Zabala was confident in going back out for the seventh, and I think if she twirls another solid inning then no one is talking about it. But, to me, you have to enter the bottom of the seventh as if it's a new ball game. Without the lead, you're guaranteed to need at least six more outs. Was the plan to leave Zabala in for the eighth, as well, or would we have seen a cold pitcher trying to protect a lead if Louisville could take it? 

It's a decision that can be argued for the entire offseason, since Louisville played their way straight into an early end to the year. Officially, it isn't over yet. The Cards will head home and await the decision of the selection committee to determine if they'll sneak into the tournament. Given that they started the ACC tournament not even on the bubble, though, I'd say the team won't be holding their collective breath. There were plenty of bright spots, so we'll see if Holly Aprile can keep the core of this team together to build on for next season. 

Until next time, Go Cards

Case

Softball Splits Friday at USF -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Beat Kent State 13-3; Fall to Wisconsin 4-1

Louisville softball improved to 8-3 early yesterday afternoon before falling to 8-4 later in the day. The Cards rode two big innings to beat Kent State 13-3 in a run rule in their first game in the USF Tournament and later couldn't find the offense against Wisconsin. Louisville continues the tournament today with games against Michigan and USF, and they'll get a second shot at Wisconsin tomorrow. 

Sam Booe has largely established herself as the second starter in the rotation so far this season, picking up many starts that I think we would have expected to go to Brooke Gray. Booe started game one yesterday and gave up one run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts in three innings. Not too shabby. Gray came in for the fourth and was a little shaky. She pitched only the fourth inning and gave up two runs on three hits while picking up just one strikeout. Katie Thatcher got another opportunity in the circle, striking out one in two thirds of an inning and Lindsey Mullen finished the game and ended the fifth inning with a line out. 

Offensively, Louisville looked poised to start their scoring early, but they couldn't convert with the bases loaded and two outs. Coach Holly Aprile has shifted the lineup slightly, working to get more hitters in the top of the order. Easton Lotus is still leading off, but Chelsea Mack has moved to the second spot. With Char Lorenz still batting third, Bri Despines was in the cleanup spot. 

Kent State actually opened the book with an RBI single in the second. Booe looked in danger of giving up a handful as she started the inning with a strikeout and then couldn't miss a bat. Kent State went double, single, RBI single, fielder's choice ground out, and ground out. If one of those last two ground outs made it through a hole, Louisville would have been down even more. 

The Cards responded in the bottom half, with Maddi Grant opening the inning with a walk and being replaced on the base by pinch-running Riley Janda. Janda moved up to second on a Katie Thatcher single, and both advanced with an Ally Alexander sacrifice bunt. Lotus had a productive ground out to first, which scored Janda, but Thatcher was stranded at third on another ground out. 

The third saw Booe return to form with a three-up, three-down inning on just nine pitches. Then it was Louisville's turn to open it up. Lorenz walked on at 13-pitch at bat and Bri Despines reached on catcher's interference. Madison Pickens singled to score Lorenz, and Taylor Monroe did the same to score Despines. Grant walked to load the bases, prompting Kent State to make a change in the circle. The new pitcher walked a run in. Alexander hit a sac fly, and Thatcher stole second to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Easton Lotus brought both in with a double, but for reasons unclear to me, those runs were considered unearned. Mack moved Lotus to third on a ground out, and Lorenz walked. I assume Kent State just stopped paying attention when walking Lorenz, because Louisville executed a double steal on the walk to get Lotus home. Despines was walked intentionally to get a force out at any base, and Pickens flied out to mercifully end the inning after Louisville scored seven runs. The Cards led 8-1.

The fourth saw them get a pair back in Gray's short outing, but the Cards went right back to work in the bottom half. Again, they opened the inning with a walk, and Maddi Grant singled to move Monroe all the way to third. Thatcher had a ground out RBI and Alexander was walked. Camryn Lookadoo, who replaced Lotus at second base, greeted Kent State's new pitcher with a walk, and Jordan Williams, pinch hitting for Mack, did the same. During William's walk, one of the pitches was wild and Grant came home to score. Char Lorenz grounded out, but Kent State couldn't turn two so one run scored. Ava Venturelli came in to pinch hit for Despines and kept the good vibes rolling, singling in two runners. All in all, Louisville scored five runs on two hits and no errors in the inning. Thatcher and Mullen made quick work of Kent State in the fifth and the run rule applied with a 13-3 victory. 

Louisville finished the first game with just six hits while scoring 13 runs. That's incredible. With that, they still managed to leave seven on base. Kent State just really couldn't find the strike zone, ultimately walking 12 batters and giving up one hit by pitch. Louisville, potentially, should have saved some offense for the second game. 

The Cards opened game two as the away team, and we saw right away that Aprile had returned the lineup to its previous shape. Unfortunately, Lotus, Despines, and Lorenz went down in order on just eight pitches. Alyssa Zabala got the start in this one and made similarly short work of the Badgers in the first inning, needing just nine to go three-up, three-down. 

Pickens opened the second inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. She might have fallen asleep at second, though, as she was picked off with a throw behind from the catcher and officially earned a "caught stealing". Grant walked after a full count but Thatcher struck out to end the inning. The second got off to a less-than-stellar start defensively, with runners on first and second after an error and a walk. Zabala looked as though she might tight-rope out of the jam, getting a pop-out and a ground out to give Wisconsin two outs. She was made to pay for the productive ground out, though, as a single up the middle scored both runners. Louisville trailed 2-0. 

In the top of the third, the Cards once more looked like they'd put some runs on the board. Alexander grounded out to open the inning, but Mack singled, and Lotus turned a sacrifice bunt attempt into a single as well. Despines grounded to second, but Wisconsin couldn't turn the double-play, so Char Lorenz came to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs. She flied out to left field.

After seeing the ball well in the second resulted in the ball staying on the ground for the Badgers, they converted that into putting the ball into the air in the fourth. A first pitch pop out was followed by a double to the gap in left-center. Zabala didn't flinch, though, and ultimately stranded the runner with help from the defense. She picked up a fly out to left and the inning ended on a fly out down the right field line, where Madison Pickens saved a run. 

For her defensive efforts, Pickens was rewarded with a strikeout to open the fourth inning. Monroe singled, but Wisconsin still kept the Cards off the scoreboard with a double play. The Badgers kept up their quality at-bats in the bottom half. Zabala once again opened the inning by getting the first batter out, but the next fly ball to left field got all the way over the fence for a solo home run. That was followed by another fly ball to left that was caught, while the next batter doubled to right center. A ground out ended the inning, but the Cards' deficit had grown to 3-0.

Louisville finally broke through in the top of the fifth, but alternating reaching base with outs will quickly end an inning. Thatcher drew a full count walk to open the inning before Alexander flew out to center. Mack continued to show her small ball skills at the plate with a bunt single to put runners on first and second with one out and the top of the order up. Lotus flied out to left center. Seeing a trend? Despines singled between first and second base, and she and Mack each moved up an extra base on the throw home that couldn't stop Thatcher from scoring. With two runners in scoring position and two outs... Lorenz flied out to left center. Cards cut into the lead to make it 3-1.

Zabala returned to the circle for her fifth inning of work and got the first batter out before giving up a single. The Wisconsin runner stole second while Zabala picked up a strikeout. As it turned out, the steal was unnecessary, as a double would have scored her from first. A fly out ended the inning, but the run erased Louisville's comeback progress. Wisconsin brought in a new pitcher to help close out the game and the middle of Louisville's order went down in a hurry with two strikeouts and a first pitch groundout. 

Sam Booe replaced Zabala in the sixth and followed a foul out with a hit by pitch. Bri Despines caught the pinch runner stealing, and Booe picked up a strikeout to end the inning. Down to their final three outs, Louisville didn't go down quietly, although the box score doesn't really indicate that. The line ultimately says one hit, one line out, and two ground outs. But Thatcher opened with an eight-pitch at bat that ended on a full-count liner to the hot corner. A pinch hitting Jordan Williams got ahold of the ball for a ground out to put the Cards up against it. Venturelli came in to pinch hit for Mack and got a first pitch single. She was immediately swapped back out to get the disruptive Mack on the base paths with the top of the order up. Lotus got the bat on the ball on her second pitch with a ground ball, but it was fielded by the shortstop and the game ended on the fielder's choice. 

Despite how some of the early games have gone so far this season, yesterday's was Alyssa Zabala's first loss this year. She finished with six hits and a walk in five innings, giving up four runs (two earned) with one strikeout. I'll also push the limit a bit and say all four of those runs are kind of earned, since she was the one who committed the error. The offense let Zabala down a bit in this one, earning seven hits and two walks, but leaving six on base. The Cards will need more consistency at the plate going forward this season if they want to return to the NCAA tournament. 

Today's games are against Michigan, with that one starting at 9am, and the hosting USF at 1:35. The USF game will be available on ESPN+. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll have four on board today, as Jared heads to the Yum! Center for a noon MBB tipoff. We'll have plenty to cover this week, as there have been games galore. You can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Season Swiftly Approaching -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Travel to Florida Next Week

Louisville softball is swiftly approaching the 2025 regular season. Similar to past seasons, the Cards will spend a majority of February in warmer weather, this time playing 16 games in three and a half weeks in Florida. Only six of those opponents made the NCAA Tournament last year and none of them advanced beyond the NCAA Regionals. For a fairly young team, playing lighter competition early can be beneficial, especially due to the caliber the ACC will bring.

Notable returners and upper classmen include junior pitcher Alyssa Zabala, senior infielder Ally Alexander, senior infielder Maddi Grant, and junior outfielder Chelsea Mack. Zabala is in line to be the ace again this season and will have plenty of help from other pitchers such as Sam Booe and Brooke Gray. Alexander suffered a hand injury for part of last season, but has been the utility player for many infield positions over the years. Grant has been an on-off player in terms of starting or playing a reserve role, but her bat picked up quite a bit during the back half of last season. Mack, who transferred in from Kentucky a couple years ago, is expected to take control of center field again and will be a speedy base runner on offense.

Last year’s Louisville team had some offensive woes, scoring three or fewer runs in 22 out of 52 games played. Softball is often a high-scoring game so you want to aim for higher than 0.5 runs per inning each game. The Cards gave up six or more runs (double the three runs previously mentioned) 16 times last season. Some pitching and infielder woes helped contribute to allowing high scores, both things we hope to see cleaned up this season.

In close games where the score differential was two runs or less or went to extra innings, the Cards went 10-14. While they were able to find a way to win in 42% of those games, you want to see that number far higher. It is good to be competing in those games, especially against tough teams such as Duke, Clemson, and Florida State, but the best teams find a way to pull a win out. If the Cards found a way to turn half of those close game losses into wins and went 17-7, their overall record would have been 34-18, a good enough mark to make the NCAA Tournament. Sadly, 27-25 kept the Cards on the outside looking in.

The hype has been pretty high so far this season so we will see what Holly Aprile and her crew are able to do to help propel Louisville back into the postseason.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Volleyball Remains Top 10 -- Fall Ball Softball -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Volleyball Remains in the Top 10

Despite a four-set loss at NC State over the weekend, Louisville volleyball didn't drop far. In fact, the Cards went from #5 last week to #6 this week. Louisville still boasts a 12-2 record on the season with ranked wins over Washington State, Kentucky, Penn State, and Dayton.

Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Stanford retained the first three spots in the rankings. Washington State jumped up to #4 and Oregon moved up a spot to #6.

Pitt, Texas, Florida, and BYU round out the final four spots in the top 10. Georgia Tech stayed put at #11. Florida lost their setter for the year and suffered another loss so they fell quite a few spots.

Louisville visits North Carolina and Duke this coming weekend and will return home to face Pitt on Friday, October 13. A Friday the 13th in October? Sounds like a great time for a Halloween promotion, ahem, UofL marketing...

We plan to have plenty of in-person coverage for the match against Pitt.

Fall Ball Softball

Louisville softball played a pair of home games on Sunday as part of their fall ball schedule. These games do not count for regulation play in any way, but is more a chance to test out different players in live action. The Cards squared off against Eastern Kentucky in the double header and took the sweep with 5-0 and 6-4 wins.

There's plenty of questions out there in terms of who will replace Taylor Roby (graduation), Hannah File (graduation), Korbe Otis (transfer), and Sarah Gordon (transfer), and I'm sure we will have more answers going forward.

For now, it appears that Holly Aprile's squad will have a plethora of available pitchers on the roster with Alyssa Zabala set to be the ace. Kentucky transfer Chelsea Mack saw a good amount of time in center field. Daisy Hess and Missouri transfer Riley Frizell both impressed at the plate.

There is an injury concern as Easton Lotus was not dressed. The rising junior tore her ACL in her freshman campaign but played all of last season. There were some complications with the recovery that resulted in another surgery, but she seems to be ready to go for the regular season in the spring.

Jeff and I hung out with SID Lori Korte Harmon in the press box and I grabbed a few pics too. It's always great to be out at Ulmer Stadium.

Here's a few extra shots from the games...

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cardinals in the ACC -- Softball Edition -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Hello Tuesday and dear reader, 

No its not quite the weekend yet, but it is Daryl checking in early since the Bats are in town.  We won't quiz you who had each day at the end of this week... but we did switch it up based on vacations as well as some news from our favorite programs. Or, I suppose you could see it as Daryl's normal Friday article is three days early or four days late.

We promise to explain it all to Paulie on Sunday, somehow in the mix, he won't be writing the rest of the week. We apologize to his fan club in southern Idaho. 

Today, I'm continuing my mini series (Cards in the ACC) with our next UofL program, (and one we've got some more news out of this week... keep reading) the ones on the diamond, Louisville Softball!

Softball


Vs Boston College 13-6 series history (2015-2023)

Vs Clemson 1-6 series history (2021-2023) 

Vs Duke  4-8 series history (2018-2023)  

Vs Florida State  7-19 series history (2002-2023)  5-16  since joining the ACC

Vs Georgia Tech 12-5 series history (2013-2023) 11-5  since joining the ACC

Vs NC State  15-10 series history (2004-2023) 13-10  since joining the ACC

Vs. North Carolina  11-12 series history (2004-2023)  8-11 since joining the ACC

Vs Notre Dame  18-28 (2002-2023) 4-16 since joining the ACC

Vs Pittsburgh  25-5 series history (2006-2023) (16-3 during the Holly Aprile @ Pitt Era 2009-2018)  (6-1 during the Holly Aprile @ UofL Era) 11-4 since joining the ACC

Vs Syracuse  29-12 series history (2006-2023)  16-4 since joining the ACC

Vs Virginia  20-4 series history (2008-2023) 17-3 since joining the ACC

Vs Virginia Tech  8-16 series history (2002-2023)  7-13 since joining the ACC

(Maryssa Becker - queen of the circle)

2023 record  36-20 (16-7 in the ACC)

2022 record  27-25 (10-14 in the ACC)

2021 record 21-28-1 (15-21-1 in the ACC)

2020 record 10-13  (Covid Year)

2019 record 35-23 (12-12 in the ACC)

2018 record  33-20 (10-12 in the ACC)

2017 record  31-19 (14-8 in the ACC)

2016 record 35-17 (15-8 in the ACC)

2015 record  30-19 (16-7 in the ACC)  

Aprile guided the 2023 Cardinals to a 36-20 overall record - the most wins since 2014, the season before the Cards entered the ACC.

ALL ACC Awards

2023 - Louisville's Sarah Gordon was selected as Freshman of the Year. Korbe Otis and Gordon named All ACC First team, Gordon and Alyssa Zabala named All Freshman team.

2022 - Carmyn Greenwood named All ACC First team, Korbe Otis named All Freshman team

2021 - Taylor Roby All ACC First Team

2020 - COVID Year (no awards designated) 

2019 - Charley Butler All ACC Freshman Team

2018 - Megan Hensley and Sidney Melton All ACC First team (Holly Aprile wins ACC Coach of the Year at Pitt) Maddy Newman All ACC Freshman Team

2017 - Nicole Pufahl,  Maryssa Becker, Morgan Meyer, Jordan McNary All ACC Second team Caitlin Ferguson All ACC Freshman team

2016 - Maryssa Becker All ACC First Team and the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

2015 - Maryssa Becker All ACC First Team

Coach Aprile recognized 

(Coach Aprile smiles, upon receiving news she's going to pitch the next inning) 

Holly Aprile, the Head Softball Coach at the University of Louisville, has been announced as The Leadership Playbook 2022-2023 Collegiate Coach of the Year as announced on June 25. The award seeks to honor coaches who maximize success, value growth, and make a positive impact on those they are entrusted to lead.

"We're thrilled to recognize Coach Holly as an example of what a coach should be," said Bechler. "Not only did she lead her team to the NCAA Tournament this season, but she had an impact on her student-athletes. She's well-respected in the softball community for her professionalism, character, and leadership."



Softball picks up another in the portal 

Aprile has announced that Riley Frizell will join the Cardinals after three seasons at the University of Missouri.

Frizell, a rising senior from Willoughby, Ohio, helped Mizzou to reach the NCAA postseason each of her years with a Super Regional showing in 2021 and back-to-back regional appearances in 2022 and 2023. Throughout her time with the Tigers, she played in 109 games, with 49 starts in 2023. She has also tallied 10 home runs, four doubles and a triple with 39 RBIs and 23 runs scored. The first baseman registered a .990 career fielding percentage at Missouri.

Over and out, everyone.  I'll be back on the other side of the 4th of July holiday. 

As Always, 

Go Cards! 

~Daryl 

Softball Closes Out Strong Season, What to Expect Next Year -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Softball Closes Out Strong Season, But What to Expect for Next Year

As Paulie broke down in yesterday's article, Louisville softball's season came to an end over the weekend following a rough seventh inning against Indiana. But the season is far from defined by just that seventh inning. The season should be defined by a fourth place finish in the ACC; by the most wins in a season in nearly a decade; by one of the best home run hitting teams in program history.

Louisville finished the year 36-20. The last time the Cards had 36 wins in a year was in 2014, when they went 36-22. The 2014 team went 14-7 in the American Athletic Conference. This year's team went 16-7 in the much-stronger ACC.

The Cards hit .319 as a whole with 470 total hits and 64 home runs, twice as many home runs as opposing teams hit against them. Seven Cardinals hit above .300 and five players recorded at least 50 hits.

On the defensive end, Louisville had a 3.17 ERA as opposed to opposing teams having a 5.51 ERA. The Louisville pitching staff struck out 259 strikeouts while walking only 115 batters.

Where Louisville struggled on the defensive end was the .957 fielding percentage while logging 66 errors. In games where Louisville had multiple fielding errors, they went 6-11. They went 30-9 in games where they had one or fewer errors.

The Cards had win streaks of six, seven, and nine games. Their longest losing streak was five games. Louisville scored 10 or more runs 10 times while giving up double-digit runs six times. They run-ruled opponents 14 times.

Who is Leaving?

With the NCAA entering its final year of COVID-19 extra year eligibility this upcoming season, the confusion of "who is coming back for another year" is nearly gone.

Taylor Roby, Hannah File, and Makayla Hurst all utilized their COVID-19 year this year. Elana Ornelas and Taja Felder are both graduating but neither have hinted at returning next year.

Louisville has relied on Roby a lot in her time with the Cards. One of the nation's best home run hitters, Roby ranks high in the UofL record books in home runs and RBIs. She also has appeared in the record books in pitching.

File spent her final three seasons with the Cards after some time at James Madison and spent much of her time in a Louisville uniform at first base as well as being a factor at the plate.

Hurst, Ornelas, and Felder all filled in needed gaps at times for the Cards. Hurst's on base percentage of .577 was a team high.

Who is Returning?

Most of the starters are back. ACC Freshman of the Year Sarah Gordon is back at catcher. The middle infield will be back in second baseman Easton Lotus and shortstop Daisy Hess. Hess is using her COVID-19 year next season. Ally Alexander, who commanded third base a good chunk of the season, will be back. The entire outfield will be back. Korbe Otis was command the outfield from center field. Paige Geraghty will be back and most likely hold down left field. Vanessa Miller and Pickle Winkler battled it out for right field much of the season and both are returning.

In the circle, plenty of Cardinals will be back. Alyssa Zabala, the freshman ace, will be back and most likely be the go-to pitcher. She will have Gabby Holloway, Sam Booe, and Cassie Grizzard in the bullpen with her.

Louisville's top pinch runner, Mia Forsythe, should be back as well. Maddi Grant, who made an impact as a pinch hitter late in the season, should also be returning.

The entire coaching staff should be back again next year. Holly Aprile took over as head coach in the summer of 2018 with her first season with the Cards being in 2019. A majority of her tenure at Louisville has been during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has helped lead Louisville to a pair of 35+ win seasons and two NCAA Regional appearances.

Griffin Joiner has been with Louisville since Holly Aprile took over as head coach and specializes in the pitchers. She has been responsible for helping develop both Megan Hensley and Taylor Roby.

Bryce Neal just wrapped his second season as an assistant coach for the Cards. He specializes in the offense, and Louisville's offense has already improved in that short span.

Casey Bonk followed Holly Aprile from Pitt and has been the Director of Operations since. She is responsible for anything ranging from travel plans, to scheduling, to organizing teams to join the Cards on the field prior to home games, and so much more.

2024 Expectations

With a heavy amount of the starters returning who feature plenty of firepower, expectations will be high next season for the Cards. A 35+ win season should be within reach again.

While the home run totals might drop significantly due to the departure of Roby and File, the batting averages and multi-base hits should still be there. Louisville has plenty of speed returning next year in Otis, Lotus, Alexander, Hess Geraghty, Miller, Gordon, and Winkler. That group was a combined 78-89 (.877) in stolen base attempts They also combined for 87 extra base hits.

The returning group of pitchers combined for 229 innings pitched, 893 batters faced, and 195 strikeouts. Roby won't be around to fall back on anymore so Zabala should command the top spot while Booe, Holloway, and left-handed pitcher Grizzard should all see an increase in innings pitched.

There's plenty of time in the offseason to see what freshmen and incoming transfers will join the Louisville roster for next season, but the addition of new players should just help increase expectations. If you're looking for a women's program on the rise, Louisville softball is the place to go to.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cards Softball Run-Rules Boston College, sweeps series -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

CARDS SOFTBALL WIN STREAK NOW NINE GAMES WITH 8-0 WHITEWASH OF BOSTON COLLEGE. 

Louisville Softball used a four-run second inning and a four-run fourth inning to pile up the runs in Ulmer Stadium -- while four Cardinals pitchers (Alyssa Zabala, Taylor Roby, Gabby Holloway and Cassie Grizzard) held the Eagles to just two hits and no runs in the Sunday win. The win was credited to Holloway, who pitched the third and fourth innings, and she goes to 5-1 on the season. 

The win puts Louisville at 35-14 on the season and 16-4 in the ACC. They're currently in second place in the ACC, 2-1/2 games behind first-place Florida State. The Cards end the regular season at Tallahassee, a sweep of the Noles would give Louisville the regular season title.

In the final regular season game at Ulmer, Louisville used four walks (to Daisy Hess, Ally Alexander, Korbe Otis and Vanessa Miller) and a single to grab a 2-0 lead. Then, a Easton Lotus single brought home two more runners to set the stage at 4-0. As she's said often, Holly Aprile is a proponent of "small ball" and it proved to be beneficial in the early stages of Sunday's game. 

The Cards failed to score in the third inning, but struck again in the bottom of the fourth when Miller drew a walk to start the Cards-at-bat. Two outs quickly followed and it looked like another scoreless inning might be on the way for Louisville Softball...but Lotus drew a walk and Taylor Roby came to the plate. 

Roby took a 2-1 pitch deep to left-center field and the ball actually cleared the scoreboard in left-center for a three RBI home run. The blast was Roby's 21st of the season (tying her for the lead in the NCAA) and 61st of her career. It was 7-0 and the Cards weren't done yet. Sarah Gordon drew a walk and a Hess double to center brought the Cards catcher home for her squad's eighth and final run. 

Grizzard took the mound for the visitors half of the fifth and got a line out, pop up and fly out to set the Eagles down in order and get the "walk off". 

PHOTOS BY JARED ANDERSON

THEY SAID IT...

POST GAME INTERVIEWS (Courtesy of Jared Anderson)

HOLLY APRILE

TAYLOR ROBY

(parts of today's article were written by Sonja Sykes, as well as Paulie) 

Softball Camp for Kids at UofL -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

CARDINAL KIDS CAMP FOR SOFTBALL THURSDAY...ALL SKILLS CAMP FRIDAY

The University of Louisville softball program will have camps to end this week at Ulmer Stadium on the Don Dobina Field. 

Thursday's camp is designed for the 6-12 year olds and there is a morning and evening session. Louisville Softball players and the coaching staff will teach campers the basic fundamentals of softball:  throwing, catching, fielding and hitting.  Check in is at 8:30 a.m. for the morning session and it runs until noon. The evening session has a 5:30 pm check-in and runs until 9 p.m.

Fee is $50 for either session Thursday

Friday is the All-Skills Camp, intended for players who are graduating from 2022 to 2027. As you can imagine, this one is a little more intense and goes through various position group (infielders, outfielders, catchers and pitchers). 8:30 a.m. to noon is the opening session (for locals only) and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.is the evening session. 

Fee is $60 for wither session, unless you're a pitcher that doesn't bat, then it's $40. 

Most of the UofL sports programs have camps for the youth and they are an excellent way to learn the game from those who have played it and coached it at the collegiate level. It's also a good fund-raiser for the programs.  

So often...we here of a player who has committed to a particular school and they'll often mention that one of the things that got them interested in (name your school) is partially due to the fact that they attended camps there when they were younger.

It also gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate some of the best talent around the region. I read of a high school coach who sent 3/4th of his program to a camp at the college in the high school's home town and that high school team later went to the state finals in their division. Several of the "campers" ended up attending the university as well to play softball over the next few years. .  

A DI softball program can give out a maximum of 12 scholarships a season.  These can be a mix of full ride and/or partial scholarships. Right now, the UofL roster shows 15 players for the 2023 season, but that does not include any freshmen. The 2022 roster, just for example, had seven  freshmen on it. Obviously, coaches are free to distribute the scholarships as they feel best, How many of them will be on scholarship we have no way of knowing right now, but you can bet Holly Aprile and her staff have been very busy getting the "Class of 2026" on campus. 

We hope all the campers at Don Dobina Field have a great time later this week, and, you never know -- the coaches and players just might be seeing some of the Cardinals future stars.

Contact number for Softball camps is (502) 852-5344

paulie

Softball Heats Up at UIC -- Kianna Smith Waived by Sparks -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Offense Gets Hot Against UIC

In their final regular season midweek game of the year, Louisville went to Chicago to take on the UIC Flames. Despite their nickname, it was actually UofL who was red hot as the Cards won 12-3.

Louisville wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. Carmyn Greenwood led off with a bunt. She was later called out at second on a fielder's choice that saw Korbe Otis safe at first. Otis reached second on a fielder's choice and raced home on a blooper single by Kendall Smith later in the inning.

The Cards added a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Dylann Cravens found a way to get on base, reached second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a single by Vanessa Miller, and scored on a wild pitch. Miller was able to take second on that same wild pitch and would touch home moments later when Jenna Servi sent a single to center field.

UIC was able to piece together a couple hits in the bottom half of the fourth inning to silence any talks of a shutout, but it seemed to have angered the Louisville offense.

The Cards blew this game open in the fifth inning with a four spot. Timely walks and hits loaded the bases in time for Miller to rope a hit down the right field line. It was officially scored as a three-run triple with Miller scoring on an error on the relay from the outfield to the catcher. It appeared she would've been safe at home either way, so it's an inside-the-park grand slam in my book.

UIC loaded the bases with two outs in the back end of the sixth inning but Louisville was able to limit the damage to just two runs and maintain a comfortable a 7-3 lead.

The Cards continued to pound on runs in the sixth inning. Smith was a few feet shy of a grand slam, but plated Greenwood and Otis.

Roby launched a three-run home run to dead center in the seventh inning. It was her 15th homer of the season, a team-high and a career-high. The three rbis gives her 45 on the season, also a team-high and career-high.

Sam Booe would close out the game in the circle in the final two innings without allowing a run. It was not a save situation.

Taylor Roby got the start in the circle and earned her 15th win of the season, a career-high for the senior. Her 46 career wins is eighth-best in program history. With three strikeouts in the circle, Roby now has 299 career strikeouts, eighth-best in program history.

Roby is also flirting with some season and career stats at the plate. The program record for home runs in a single season is 17. Roby needs to two to tie. The program record for career home runs is 42. She needs two to tie. She is eighth all-time in walks with 81. She was sixth in career program slugging percentage at .586 going into last night's game.

Greenwood is also on base for some high-ranking stats for UofL single season and career records. She has 17 doubles on the year, three shy off the single-season record. Going into last night's game Greenwood had a .415 batting average on the season and .415 average in her career at Louisville. If those hold true, she would finish fourth for batting average in a single season and first in career batting average. She also had an .868 slugging percentage on the year and a .668 slugging percentage in her career. Those would put her second in single season slugging percentage and first in career slugging percentage. She is also high up on the on base percentage record books.

To make sure I'm reading the correct records and to make sure my numbers are adding up on everything, I have a request in with the sports information director for softball, Lori Korte Harmon. The season also isn't over so things are subject to change. If and when some players set some records, we will gladly report on it here.

Next on the schedule for Holly Aprile's squad is a three-game series at #20 Notre Dame to close out the regular season. The Cards have clinched a spot in the 10-team ACC Tournament and currently sit seventh in the conference, but are considered a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament.

( A special THANKS! to Ryan Greenwood, father of Louisville Softball student-athletes Carmyn and Cassidy Greenwood, for the Softball photos from the UIC game !) 

Kianna Smith Waived by LA Sparks

In a rather surprising move, the LA Sparks waived Kianna Smith yesterday. The Louisville alum was one of three players that saw their time with LA come to a quick end.

Smith joins Jazmine Jones as former Cards who were waived in the days leading up to the start of the WNBA.

With a limited budget and rather poor salary caps (compared to the NBA), teams are forced to make tough decisions that often leads to strong players and newly drafted players let go prematurely.

The WNBA season begins tomorrow.

Horserace Season in Louisville

Thurby and Cinco de Mayo falling on the same day is dangerous. Or a big money maker if you're Churchill Downs. The racetrack will certainly benefit from the alcohol sales as well as happy betters. Still not as big as the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, Thurby has gone from a day for locals into another day into the stretched Derby season.

The Kentucky Oaks post time is set for Friday at 5:51. The Kentucky Derby post time is set for Saturday at 6:57.

We don't cover horseracing here at Cardinal Couple, but we do gladly participate in the seasonal celebrations.

 

If you're interested in betting, I highly recommend you check out Paulie's handicapping site this weekend (Paulie PICKS) . If you lose some money you can always send him the bill, but you might get an unkind gesture in return.

LINK TO PAULIE PICKS:  PAULIE PICKS

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared