Friday Cardinal Couple

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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Paulie's hour on campus (or how I stopped worrying
about the sauce.)

-Prancercise?

( NOTE: We are a "Jule Free" zone for the second day in a row. I've come to agree
with our writer and radio host Jeff McAdams that I've heard about all I care to about
this Rutgers stuff. Wake me when it's over.)




It was a chance to go to the UofL campus and do a interview with Coach Jeff Walz for our radio show on Saturday. Yes, we have a CARDINAL COUPLE radio show now and it's quite fun, non-fattening and a weekly look at UofL women's athletics and my general nonsense and fictitious characters. Since Jeff Walz is a pretty big part of Louisville women's athletics and a lot of fun to talk to on any occasion...I was looking forward to the interview.

I like to park in the garage next to the Student Activities Center. It's a dollar minimum but jumps to three bucks if you stay past an hour. I wish they had free media parking...and they may have and are just keeping it a secret from me...but I can usually find a spot on the 1st level on non-event days in this garage and was able to do so
Thursday.

After I parked and was walking across the circle toward the SAC, who should I run into but Shoni Schimmel and Jen Esteban. You've probably heard of both, but just in case you haven't...Shoni plays basketball for the Cards WBB team and Jen is an outfielder for the softball team. It's good to see that the players on other teams are friends with each other. Shoni recognized me, gave me that excellent Schimmel smile and we exchanged greeting. They seemed to be in a hurry, so I didn't keep them. And, if I had, it may have been misconstrued as a possible attempt to interview a player without prior consent from the sports information department or coaching staff. Jen didn't say anything during
our encounter. We never have been formally introduced, so she may not have had any idea who I was.

You know how the NCAA loves their rules and regulations.

So, in the SAC I went and up the escalator to the 2nd floor, where Walz's office is. When I entered the offices, I didn't see Margaret Womack, the secretary out front. I usually tell her who I am there to see and she checks to see if they are there and if they are ready to see me. She always asks me who I am. Sometimes, I answer correctly.

I did see the paper boy, though...sitting at the other desk in the reception lobby. I'm not real sure what he does at UofL and whether his name is Jason or Jeremy...but he's probably best recognized as the guy who walks around during time outs at women's basketball games and hands selected members of the media updated stat sheets. So, Sonja coined the name "Paper boy" for him. He smiles a lot, and that's always a good thing...so I asked him if Coach Walz was in. He seemed to think so. I made a decision and decided to walk...unannounced...back down the hallways to Walz's office. It didn't seem to bother the paper boy, so off I went.

Fortunately, I didn't have to go far. Coach Walz was chatting with women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes. He saw me, finished up quickly with her and shook my hand and bounded off to his office. He's a fast walker, that Walz is, and I am not...so he was encouraging me to keep up with
him as we navigated the hallways to his office. I did mention to Coach Karen I'd like to put her on the radio, she said "Great!" and I told her I'd give her more details after my Walz interview.

I realized later, when I got home, that I've never done an interview with Karen. She may have had no idea who I was. I did send her and her assistant sports information director an e-mail, though...confirming we talked. I've found it is always a good idea to let the assistant sports information directors know..."if, when, why and what for" if you have contact with or want to have contact with a coach or player. That keeps them from getting mad at you...as several have with me over the years. I pretty much like all of the assistant S.I.D.'s at UofL. I'm not sure that some of them feel the same way about me, but I don't let it worry me much. They got their job, I got mine. Some coaches say it is OK for me to talk to them without contacting the asst. S.I.D. first...but I still let the asst. S.I.D.'s know. They're in information, after all, so I give them information. Sometimes, they even respond.

Coach Walz and I had a delightful ten minute chat.  I recorded about half of it and will play on the radio show Saturday. I also got to see the Geno Spaghetti Sauce he had told me about and I got a couple of pictures of the bottle.

It's a great story about how Walz got the Geno Spaghetti Sauce...one of Geno's assistant coaches (that little minx Chris Dailey) and Walz were in the same city watching recruits and she gave him a bottle of it.  I'm not sure if Walz has the distribution rights to peddle it in Louisville, but it would probably fly off the shelves here, right? I wonder if Coach needs a salesman to promote it? I will be available at the end of June...Maybe Chris Dailey would send me a bottle, too...so I could sample it and do a review of it.
 
Maybe I could personally visit with Chris and...OK, Paulie...stay on point.

While Coach Walz and I talked, I also got to see operations director Mary Beth Whitaker and assistant coach Stephanie Norman. It is always nice to see them and they are always very nice to me, so that's a good thing. Coach even posed with the bottle...waiter-style...as part of his preparations to go to work for Geno someday as the head waiter in his restaurant. I still haven't had a chance to talk to Coach about my idea for him to market a "Walz"dorf salad. It would go great with spaghetti.

Our time went by pretty quickly and Coach Walz had to get to the airport to pick up either a prospective recruit or prospect. I didn't ask for more details.

You know how the NCAA loves their rules and regulations.

On the way out, though...I did see Coach Sam. Samantha Williams. I'm not real sure if she knows who I am or not, either...but she was polite and we do have someone here on the CARDINAL COUPLE staff who knows her better than I do. I can't tell you who it is. Somedays, I can't remember.

I also got to see Coach Karen again and gave her more details about the radio show. Even suggested a few things it could be named. (We call Walz's show 'Words With the Walz'). I sent the appropriate e-mails. We'll see. Her assistant S.I.D. is one I've had an encounter with before and I barely know.

So, I left the SAC and went back to my car. It was turning into a beautiful day and I felt good about my time on campus.

And, I only had to pay a dollar to park. Great success!

So, it was an eventful hour on the Belknap Campus. Be sure to listen to Cardinal Couple Radio Saturday at 11 a.m. on Crescent Hill Radio for my interview with Coach Walz.

CRESCENT HILL RADIO

If you miss the live broadcast, they store them in the archives in the SoundCloud for a couple of months.

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As part of my intensive training to beat Hannah Kiyohara in the 60 yd. dash, I've added 'Prancercise' to my workout routine. Sorry, UDub...you're going down in defeat and your little dog Toto, too!

PRANCERCISE


Paulie

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Saturday Cardinal Couple -- Softball Cards hold on for 2-1 win over IPFW

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Cards escape bases loaded IPFW 7th to win.

-Meet Bill Salyer

-Cardinal Couple Radio today!

-Preakness? Nonsense...

If you are a fan of strong, dominating pitching...you had to love last night's 2-1 UofL win over IPFW in Ulmer Stadium. If you have a heart condition, though...the seventh inning probably had you looking for a first aid station or a defibrillator. Alicja Wolny's grab of a shot from IPFW's Alex Bousquet down the first base line got the Cards out of trouble and into the 2 p.m. game Saturday against UAB in the winner's bracket.

The Cards couldn't figure out IPFW pitcher Miranda Kramer in the first four innings. Three up, three down in the first three frames and a perfect game on the scoreboard before Katelyn Mann singled with one out in the fourth, stole second and Alicja Wolny drew a walk. The Cards were unable to capitalize, though...Maggie Ruckenbrod flying out to right and Jordan Trimble caught looking at one of Kramer's nine strikeouts.

Meanwhile, starting Louisville pitcher Rachel LeCoq was creating her own masterpiece on the mound, allowing just two hits and two Mastodon baserunners through five innings. Louisville entered the bottom of the fifth deadlocked in a scoreless tie and needed to make something happen.

Hannah made it happen. Hannah Kiyohara, UofL's left fielder started the inning with a sharp single to left. She was lifted for pinch runner Chrisanna Roberts, who advanced to second when Kramer plunked Taner Fowler with a fastball. Whitney Arion followed with a bloop infield single the load the bags with Cards and no outs. Jennifer Esteban, playing in her first game back from injury, drilled a shot literally off third base that IPFW couldn't come up with and Roberts scored to give the Cards a 1-0 lead. They wasted a prime opportunity to add to the margin though...Katie Keller becoming another Kramer KO victim, Mann popping out to first and Wolny grounding out to second.

IPFW wasted no time in tying it up in the top of the sixth. Alex Bousquet took a LeCoq fast ball to right center and it cleared the fence by the slimmest of margins. LeCoq recovered, however and sent the next three Mastodons back to the dugout.

Louisville responded in the home half of the sixth. After Maggie Ruckenbrod benefited from a dropped routine fly ball by IPFW right fielder Hillary Kartman, Jasmine Smithson Willett came in to pinch run.

( Our own Jenny O'Bryan, sitting in the right field open seating claims responsibility for the error...surmising that her taunting must have finally got to Kartman.)

Jordan Trimble's sacrifice bunt moved JSW to third and Kiyohara came to the rescue again, drilling a rope up the middle of the infield that nearly decapitated Kramer. It scored Smithson-Willett. Fowler's bloop infield gave the Cards runners on first and second...but Kramer shut the door once again...sending Arion and Esteban away from the plate with her eighth and ninth strikeouts.

All Louisville had to do was retire the Mastodons in the top of the seventh to take the win...but it proved to be an arduous task. With one out, LeCoq hit designated hitter Audrey Minton with a fastball inside. Prestlee Cooper came in to pinch run but watched as LeCoq fanned Megan Flenniken for the second out. It looked like it was over when Brittany Kachur hit a routine grounder to Cardinal shortstop Arion...but she had trouble coming up with it and suddenly, the Mastodons and two runners. With the infield playing in...Kayti Hanson lined a shot at UofL third baseman Mann, but she bobbled it and it was pulse-check time. Bags loaded, two outs and home run hitter Alex Bousquet at bat.
Fortunately, Wolny fielded the hit safely and the Cards were winners. After scaring around 800 fans to death.

Kiyohara was humble in the post game press conference, as was Esteban...simply stating they did what they had to do to help the team to a win. LeCoq was brilliant in her performance in the circle...admitting she "might have got the pitch a little high" on Bousquet's homer.

On a night where Louisville's three All-Region selections went a combined 0 for 8 at the plate...a transfer pitcher, player fresh off an injury and Hannah "Kivohara" (according to her name tag placard in the post-game press room) bailed out the Cards on a night where the rain mercifully held off.



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Louisville opens action Saturday with a 2 p.m. game against UAB. The Blazers used a six run third inning to send UCLA to the losers' bracket 6-3. UCLA and IPFW follow at approximately 4:30 p.m.

If the Cards win, they play for the regional title Sunday. If not, they face the winner of the UCLA vs. IPFW game about thirty minutes after the completion of that one. That winner will also advance to Sunday's finals...in the double elimination format.


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I had a great conversation wih IPFW Assistant Athletic Director for Media Services Bill Salyer before the Louisville game. He explained the choice of a mastodon as the school mascot. An important archaeological "dig" a few miles from the IPFW campus uncovered a great skeleton of a prehistoric mastodon and a baby mastodon as well...

It's a good thing they didn't find Jimmy Hoffa. The IPFW Hoffas just doesn't have the same ring, does it?

The mascot is called Don the Mastodon and Bill revealed to me that the Fort Wayne, Indiana school has an enrollment of about 14,000 students....mostly commuters. They have 16 sports teams on campus and play men's volleyball instead of football. About 50 IPFW softball fans were on hand to cheer on the Mastodons.

Best quip of the night in the press box also came courtesy of Bill when he deadpanned:

"I only go out drinking on two different occasions a year. When it's my birthday...and when it isn't."

He didn't reveal whether he's a potential candidate to replace Julie Hermann at Louisville or not...probably because I never asked if he was or not...but you gotta love the guy's spirit. They even do occasional radio broadcasts of IPFW softball. Are ya reading this, Mr. Jurich?

Jeff and I stand ready to handle the play-by-play and color commentary duties. We haven't decided just who would do which and it probably wouldn't matter...two babbling guys who are going to go off on random tangents and things unrelated to softball or sports would well be worth a listen.

Speaking of...we're on the radio this morning at 11. Crescent Hill Radio, along with outfield hooligan Jenny. We'll see just how far her taunts get here over the internet airwaves...

Join us, won't you? Either live or archived on the heavenly Soundcloud.  

LINK BELOW:

THREE REASONS TO ACCESS THE INTERNET


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I've gotten several inquiries from folks on whether anyone can beat  ORB today in the Preakness at Pimlico. My answer? Not unless they've cloned Secretariat and have entered "BIG RED II" in the race. Sonja is in full agreement.

Since ORB will probably go off as the odds-on favorite, there won't be a lot of money to be made there. We're going to try a Pick 4 earlier in the card that ends with the Preakness. Looking for some prices in the first three and a "single" with ORB in the final leg.

IF pressed for a possible upset special in the Preakness Stakes, I'll offer either GOLDENCENTS..who will force the early pace and probably try to wire the field, or ITSMYLUCKYDAY, a horse I absolutely loved when he was a 2 yr. old and has still got me waiting for that one huge triumph.

Sonja says that beating ORB is liking pitching a no-hitter against the Louisville softball team. Improbable, highly unlikely but not impossible. She loves OPTIMIZER in a earlier race on the card today in Maryland and will be backing that one fairly significantly.

Happy Preakness!

-Paulie

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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Softball splits, Lacrosse plays today

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- Louisville splits double header against Georgetown

- Lacrosse ends season today against Villanova


The No. 7/8 University of Louisville softball tean split a BIG EAST doubleheader against Georgetown yesterday. They Cards took the first game 8-0 in five innings but fell in the nightcap 4-2. The loss put Louisville a game behind Notre Dame in the BIG EAST standings. 

Louisville 8 - Georgetown 0 

The Cards struck early in the first game against the Hoyas. Jordan Trimble doubled in the first inning and scored on an Alicja Wolny single. Louisville added a second run in the second when Taner Fowler doubled and scored on a Katie Keller walk with the bases loaded. It was 2-0 Cards after two innings.

The third inning brought Louisville their third run. Maggie Ruckenbrod and Whitney Arion delivered singles to start the inning. Ruckenbrod scored on a Hannah Kiyohara sacrifice fly. Make it 4-0 UofL after four frames. The Cards loaded the bases when Trimble singled and Wolny and Ruckenbrod walked. Arion's single scored Trimble.

Louisville broke their run-per-inning trend in the fifth. Kiyohara started the inning with a blooper single and Katelyn Mann's bunt left both runners safe. That set the stage for a three-run homer from Trimble, which made it 7-0. The Cards added the final run on hits from Ruckenbrod and Arion.

Rachel LeCoq was magnificent in the circle...allowing just four hits in the five innings to go to 18-4 on the season.


GEORGETOWN 4 - LOUISVILLE 2

Caralisa Connell was in the circle for the second game and it didn't go well for her early. A double and two-run homer in the top of the first put the Cards behind before they ever got to bat. Louisville did respond with two runs in the bottom of the first.

Trimble singled and Keller got hit by a pitch. A wild pitch advnaced them. Trimble scored on a Wolny sacrifice fly and Keller made it home on a Arion sacrifice fly. It was 2-2 after an inning.

Georgetown touched Connell for two more runs in the second. Two walks and three singles gave GU a 4-2 lead.

The Cards threatened several times to score again. Bases loaded and one out in the second but nothing got to the plate. Scorers in position in the fourth and sixth as well. Louisvile left nine runners on base for the game.

Connell went the distance and gets the loss to go to 25-4.

The teams play again today at noon.  It's senior day and Louisville will honor seniors Katelyn Mann, Jordan Trimble, Alicja Wolny, Jennifer Esteban, Chrisanna Roberts and Chelsea Leonard prior to the game.


LACROSSE ends regular season against Villanova.


Louisville Lacrosse will end the regular season against Villanova today at 1 p.m. at the UofL Lacrosse Stadium. The Cards will not qualify for the BIG EAST Tournament regardless of the outcone...they take the top four (Connecticut, Loyola, Georgetown and Syracuse). The Cards 2-5 in the BIG EAST and 10-6 overall.

Lacrosse will say good-bye to three seniors today...midfielder Katie Oliverio, goal-keeper Danielle Pawliw and defender Janaye Dzikewich.

No word or idea yet on whether a 11-6 or 10-7 record would be good enough for an NCAA bid.

Monday Cardinal Couple -- Softball fells LSU , Hoops ends regular season tonight

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- LeCoq closes door on Tigers

- Syracuse vs. Louisville in WBB tonight


The start was shaky for the #15 Louisville softball team Sunday in the Citrus Classic but the end result successful as the Cards defeat #11 LSU 6-2.

Starter Caralisa Connell was having "one of those afternoons" ...loading the bags with three straight walks in the second inning. A wild pitch made it 2-0 LSU and a fourth base on balls loaded the bases again with two outs.

Exit Connell, enter Rachel LeCoq. End LSU threat with a strike out.

Louisville responded in the top of the third against LSU pitcher Rachelle Fico. Katie Keller singled and reached home on a Alicja Wolny double. Maggie Ruckenbrod's base hit plated Wolny and the Cards had tied the game.

UofL took the lead in the fifth inning, Keller scoring after receiving a base on balls and scoring on a Ruckenbrod fielders' choice.

The Cardinals increased the lead to 5-2 with a couple of runs in the sixth. Hannan Kiyohara singled and scored with two outs on a Jennifer Esteban hit. Esteban got greeted at home as well when Keller delivered a single.

Maggie Ruckenbrod delivered an insurance run in the final inning with a bomber over the left field fence to make it 6-2...her first home run of the season.

LeCoq (7-1) with the clutch relief performance...holding LSU to just three hits and no runs in 5.1 innings. The Cards produced 11 hits total.

"This was a great day for Louisville softball. I thought our team did a tremendous job and really came ready to play. A big key to our win was Rachel LeCoq shutting down LSU. I also thought we had great offense throughout the game." said Sandy Pearsall after the triumph.

Jordan Trimble has been sick and did not play. Jasmine Smithson-Willett has been battling a stress fracture but saw limited action. Hoping two of my favorite players on the team can get back to full time participation soon.

Louisville returns to Ulmer Stadium for the Red and Black Classic March 8-10. A good group of opponents coming in to play...Michigan, Miami (OH), Austin Peay and Illinois State.

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After a triple overtime loss Saturday to Villanova, no one could blame the Syracuse women's basketball team for looking for a little redemption tonight against Louisville. Although an NCAA bid appears to be a certain thing for the #22 Orange, who are 22-6 overall and 10-5 in the BIG EAST, the chance for a "double bye" in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament hinges on a win over Louisville tonight.

Quentin Hillsman isn't a confident man.

" I worry about it every day. I'd be worried if we beat Villanova because we've been on both ends. We're not in that room with that little S-curve thing they talk about...Hopefully we come out Monday and have some legs left after this and win this Louisville game."

The Orange have an RPI of 46 and could fall no further than 6th with a loss to Louisville. The prevailing sentiment is that the NCAA will take eight BIG EAST teams...
(Connecticut, Notre Dame, Louisville, St. John's, Syracuse, South Florida, DePaul and Villanova.)...but a 'Cuse win would guarantee a nicer seeding...since SU has lost their last three games.

Louisville is guaranteed a top four finish and double bye in the BIG EAST Tournament regardless of how they do...they own the tie-breaker over St. John's if they end up at 11-5 in conference each.

The players that the Cards have to worry about? It begins in the paint with Kayla Alexander, the 6'5" do-it-all center. She and forward Carmen Tyson-Thomas had 22 points and 11 rebounds each against 'Nova Saturday.

Head Coach Quentin Hillsman will be active on the
sidelines tonight.

Guards Brittany Sykes and LaShay Taft are big-time ballers that will challenge the Cards. Elashier Hall a talented player who scores well in the 'Cuse offensive set. Rachel Coffey a great shooter who is also tough defensively.

Louisville has their work cut out for them. The Cards will need to go toe-to-toe with the aggressive, physical, chip-on-their-shoulder Orange and if Louisville can get the three-ball working (Laura Sweeney from Villanova blasted the 'Cuse from the deep Saturday) the Cards chances for success go up dramatically.

Game time 9 p.m. on the CBSSN network.

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Softball defeats IU 6-4

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Keller's blast leads Cards softball to 6-4 win


-A Derby to remember...the Watson files

The University of Louisville softball team improved to 44-2 with a 6-4 win over the Indiana Hoosier in Bloomington, IN. Wednesday afternoon. Stepping up for the Cards was Katie Keller...whose two run blast in the top of the fifth inning broke up a 4-4 tie and the base clearer proved to be all the Cards would need to secure the win.

Tori Collins started the game for Louisville at pitcher and survived a scare in the first inning when IU had a runner on second with just one out. Collins pitched out of the jam, though and retired the Hoosiers in order in the second inning.


Louisville wasn't putting a dent in Meaghan Murphy's pitching performance, though...going down 1-2-3 in the first two innings...and neither team had a hit going into the third inning.


The Cards changed that. With one out, Maggie Ruckenbrod doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on a Whitney Arion single to right. 

Ruckenbrod scored when Arion stole second and the IU catcher committed a throwing error. Jennifer Esteban reached next on a fielders choice and both scored on Kristin Austin's eighth  triple of the year to left field. Austin crossed the plate next on a Katie Keller fly out to right and the top half of the inning ended with Louisville up 4-0. 


IU rallied back. After a Murphy double off Collins, Jenna Abraham crushed a Collins pitch to center and it cleared the fence, cutting the Cardinal lead in half. Collins finally got her first out of the inning on a ground out, but Shannon Cawley reached on a Whitney Arion throwing error to first and Amanda Wagner hit her ninth homer of the year to right center to tie the game. 


Coach Pearsall had seen enough and Caralisa Connell came in to relieve Collins on the stripe. Connell got the Cards out of the inning with no further damage. 


Louisville took the lead for good when Esteban singled with one out in the top of the fifth and one out later Keller sent Mr. Spalding over the left field fence to make it 6-4 Cards. 

Connell encountered a late IU attempt to score in the bottom of the sixth. After walking Wagner, Connell got Samantha Berenter to go down swinging, Sandy Gogrieve to ground out and struck out IU catcher Cassie Gogrieve with Wagner on third to end the inning. 


Louisville had a chance to add to the total in the top of the seventh when Esteban singled with one out and was on third with two outs...but Keller lined out to center to end the inning. Connell retired the Hoosiers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to record her 15th win of the season against just one loss. She allowed no hits in 4 2/3 innings and struck out four.


44-2. A most incredible season so far and the Cards return home for their final home series of the regular season against Georgetown this weekend.


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(David Watson is a special columnist for CARDINAL COUPLE. These days, he's also a dad who is going through the rigors of having a teenage daughter getting ready to go to college this fall. HE takes a break from the drama to relate to us a special Derby memory today)

First of all, my column today is a really long one. Have a snack and hit the facilities before starting on it. 


It was 1995. I was a proud papa for the first time and struggling with academia, 3 a.m. feedings and panicking every time Andrea would cry, remain silent or even look at us funny. If you've been there, you'll understand. If you're there currently, hang in there. It gets easier after three kids. A whole new set of issues rise to the surface. 


We were shuttling back and forth between two cities on the weekends and entertaining at home as relatives, parents and friends all wanted to see this "Watson miracle" -- a baby produced by the guy who had sworn he'd never marry -- much less have a kid -- and the girl who knew all the Pat Benetar hits by heart. By the end of April, we were stressed, dealing with postpartum depression and needing a break. 


It was Sandy's parents who suggested the three day getaway. Take 72 hours for yourself. Get away, go find yourselves again for a few days and leave the baby with us. They were vets at this -- having five kids and 12 grand kids on their resume. We decided to do it and my cousin Billy invited us to Louisville for the first weekend in May. KENTUCKY DERBY time in the River City. We'd never been. Seen it on TV several times. Neither of us big horse racing fans. But, "cuz" was persistent, so we dropped off Andrea Thursday night with Chuck and Molly, hit I-65 South and rolled into Billy's around 9 p.m.


He was charmingly tipsy when we showed up and he's a funny guy when he gets that way. Was going on and on about a parade he'd been to, a boat race he'd attended the day before and how his wife Brenda wasn't speaking to him. He told me of how much money he and I were going to make at the track Friday and Saturday. Friday is Oaks Day in Louisville and the four of us were attending Churchill Downs for racing. Going to the "infield" (as he called it). Saturday is Derby Day and he had four seats in the grandstands for us. The evening flew by, his wife Brenda came home and kept us rolling in laughter with stories of her bunco club meeting that evening, while shooting him icy stares and ignoring him. We later learned that these were their "happy" moments. Oy vey. 


We slept that night in his basement with Ralph and Waldo, his two basset hounds. He had a full bar in his basement and around 3 a.m. I awoke, my back in screaming agony from sleeping on his roll out bed. While my wife snored, Ralph, Waldo and I had a few "nightcaps" 


The next morning it was off to the races for the Oaks. He had a parking spot within a couple of blocks of the track that he had gone to for several years. Winding through a maze of back roads and alleys around the track to get there, because of road closures for buses and the like, we arrived and parked in this guy named Mikey's back yard. We weren't the first there. Mikey greeted us with Bloody Mary's and solicitously asked us for $20. I forked over the cash and minutes later we were walking down Central Avenue toward the infield. 


Mint juleps are nasty drinks. Stop me if you've been there. They don't grow on you, either -- but they are wondrous for relieving back pain. Armed with a program, I sat on a blanket in the infield and studied the races ahead. A few minutes later, I got a nudge in the side from Billy. It was my first "topless" viewing of the day. And, unlike the mint juleps, those got better as the day went on. 


We were on the "backside" of the infield, pressed up against the fence and got to see the horses dash by us each race. Next to us was a group of Michigan State students. They had managed to smuggle into the infield 15 fifths of bourbon! I can't tell you how they did that because they wouldn't tell me. They had two coolers full of ice and we became close friends by the third race, despite my Notre Dame connection. By the eighth race, I quit betting. I was 1 for 8 on winners for the day and getting tired of staggering through the masses of humanity to the betting windows and losing each time. Billy, on the other hand, was having a phenomenal day. Hitting exactas, trifectas, across the board wagers and the daily double. He disappeared for about an hour during the course of the afternoon and came back to our blanket with an old high school friend. Can't remember her name, but the looks she got from Brenda I'll never forget. Fortunately, she staggered over to the college kids party and a few minutes later, we saw her "raise her shirt" as well. All in a day work.




Finally, it was over. I was down $120 dollars for the day, when you consider the wagering, beverages and food I had purchased. Billy was flashing 100's at me and tossed me a couple when he came back from the window after the final race. I protested at first, but eventually stuffed them into the front pocket of my blue jeans.


The rest of that day and evening are still a bit of a blur. We made it back to Mikey's, had a few Bloody Mary's and eventually made it back to the house. We visited a steak house. I think I ordered fish. I remember nodding off in the living room, listening to the three of them carry on about the day's events. I woke up with Ralph and Waldo in the basement. We repeated the previous evening's "nightcap" scenario and Saturday morning rolled around way too early. 


The difference between the carnal hedonism of Churchill Downs' infield and the sedate, stuffy seats of the grandstands is striking. We were sitting high in the stands, almost at the very end of the structure and I had an elderly dowager from the east end of Louisville sitting next to me, aloof and stoic. 


"I'm from Prospect." I can still hear her announcing. Billy told her he was from Pleasure Ridge Park. She looked aghast.


Aisle seats, though, and near the exit to the food, drinks and restrooms underneath the seats. We had parked at Mikey's again ($25 dollars for Derby Day) had the customary Bloody Mary but that is where the similarities ended. No shirt-raising, bottles of bourbon or blankets in the Grandstands. The mint juleps still tasted as nasty, though.


By the fourth race of Derby Day, I was bored out of my mind and went to wander the property. Billy wasn't having the phenomenal success of the day before and second-guessing his handicapping -- nose buried in the racing form. Brenda had Sandy engaged in non-stop chatter and I bolted. I had lost all three races I had bet and still had the two hundred dollar bills Billy had given me tucked in my wallet. In the grandstands, there are lines for everything. Food, drink, betting and mother nature breaks. 


I became the wandering vagabond. I decided to try and see if I could get to the legendary "Millionaire's Row" of Churchill Downs. With a bit of trickery and skulduggery, I made it to the clubhouse and to the third floor. My journey stopped there, though. Grim, unhumorous security attendants were keeping vigil. I headed back to the grandstand and was on a escalator when I heard a booming "David!". It was a colleague from Notre Dame behind me and we met at the bottom, talked for several minutes. He was there with another professor and was bored, like me. I told him of the previous day's exploits in the infield. 


"Let's go!" he exclaimed, and 30 minutes later we were out in the mix again. Two guys looking for ribald and seemy adventure. I took him back to the spot from the day before near the fence. The Michigan State crew was in full form and greeted me with cheers and guffaws at my sport jacket and tie apparel. 


By the eighth race, we were both buzzed and my friend was carrying on a conversation with a girl half his age. Mission accomplished, I bid my farewells, left him in the capable hands of the co-ed and headed back to the grandstands. 


My arrival was greeted with questions and inquisitions on my whereabouts. Billy was having a horrible day with his handicapping and Brenda had slightly twisted an ankle by stepping on a beer can en route to the "facilities". The vote was 2-2 on whether to stay or go -- now that the prodigal son had returned. I looked to the dowager for a tie-breaker. She had loosened up a little, several beer cups surrounded her feet, and she admonished.


"You can't leave before the Kentucky Derby is run!" 


That cinched it for me. I offered to go fetch food for all. It met with approval. Billy went with me and we made it back with 30 minutes before the Derby. I decided to bet the race. Sandy decided to go to the window with me. Down the steps I went again.


She liked the name Tejano Run and asked me to bet a "across the board" wager on the horse. She asked me who I liked. I told her that trainer D. Wayne Lukas had three horses in the Derby and I was going to bet each one to win. I had gleaned this information earlier from one of the MSU guys. 


"Hey, he has three going. One should win, right?" 


It made sense. I dug into the wallet. I had one of the hundred dollar bills left and a fifty from Billy's generosity. The teller looked at me. I gulped and told him I wanted $50 to win on each Lukas horse. He frowned and asked me for the horse numbers. I had left my program in my seat. Rookie error. He sighed and looked at his, next to his betting board. I asked him for Tejano Run across the board as well. $160 dollars handed over, four returned. My wife looked at me as if my hair was on fire. I shrugged. It was the Derby. The MSU boys thought it was a good strategy. It was Billy's money and I had "inside information."  


We got back to the seats with four minutes to spare. Billy was a Tejano Run fan as well. Considerably heavier than Sandy's six dollar wager. He had changed tactics. Place and show, no win wager. 


They started the race. All stood and screamed as the horses ran by us the first time. I yelled out the numbers of my horses. I couldn't tell who was where, but the dowager's husband had binoculars and was yelling out the numbers of the horses in the lead. I wasn't hearing my numbers. They hit the top of the stretch and I yelled my numbers louder. Then, as the crowd went crazy, a horse began to pull away from the pack. I looked at my program. The silks colors matched the #11 horse and Mr. Dowager confirmed. Thunder Gulch. I listened intently to the racecallers' report. It was Thunder Gulch! A D. Wayne Lukas horse! AT 25-1 odds. 


Thunder Gulch won the 1995 Kentucky Derby and paid $51 on a $2 win ticket. I got back $1275. Sandy got back $17 on Tejano Run's second place finish and Billy cashed in for $340. I still have the program where I wrote all that information down. It's in a frame in our upstairs hallway, next to a baby picture of Andrea.


We went back to their house that night and I laid the $200 Billy had given me the day before on their kitchen table. He accepted it and told me, with that, he was almost "even" for the day. Brenda was in a wonderful mood that night and Sandy and I retreated downstairs shortly after we got back to their place. I had driven us back from the track and the two of them were acting like two raging hormone teenagers in the back seat most of the drive. I had a celebratory drink with Ralph and Waldo and was asleep minutes after.


We used part of the winnings to re-do the nursery room for Andrea. My cousin Billy still talks about that day, that weekend. We haven't been to a Derby since. We watch each year on television, though and I call him and have him put $2 to win on any horse that D. Wayne Lukas has running in the Derby. I figure I owe D. Wayne that much. He and Brenda still go each year. Same seats, he takes his sons now. He sits there for the Oaks these days, too. Churchill Downs makes him buy for both days. He told me a few years back that the dowager queen passed away. Her husband attended a couple of years after that and then a real estate agent from Owensboro, KY was sitting there the next year with his wife. He says they're a nice couple.


Brenda had the first of their two sons almost nine months after our visit in 1995. I'd like to think I'm in some small way responsible. And, not in the way some of you are thinking.   


D. Wayne Lukas won the 1996 and 1999 Derbies too. He hasn't won since. I figure I'm still way ahead on him, though. 


( D. Wayne Lukas is the trainer of Optimizer this year but needs a couple of defections in order for the horse to run, since he is 22nd. on the earnings list and only 20 can go. ) 


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Cards romp Pitt 9-1 in Big East Softball Quarterfinal

Kristen Wadwell picked up the win for the Cards...who allowed only three Panthers hits in the 9-1 win.

Another case of Louisville jumping on an opponent early during Thursday night's game in Ulmer Stadium. The Cards struck for one run in the first and three runs in the second to build a lead that Pitt couldn't catch up with.

Louisville struck first with a double steal in the first inning that scored a run on a wild throw and after Pitt tied the game in the top of the second on a passed ball, the #3 seeded Cards got busy in the bottom of the second with (4) straight singles by Jordan Trimble, Kristin Austin, Vanessa James and Jennifer Esteban to go up by three.

Louisville sealed the deal in the bottom of the sixth when Alicja Wolny singled, Trimble crushed a triple off the right center fence and Austin singled her home. A Melissa Roth's double brought in Austin to make it 8-1 and Roth scored the game ender on a Esteban single and wild throw by Pitt.

Wadwell recorded eight strikeouts in 5 innings on the mound. Louisville recorded 13 hits against the #6 seeded Pitt squad and Esteban and Trimble went a combined 7-7 at the plate.

Other Big East quarterfinal action at Ulmer Stadium today:

(GAME 1)

SYRACUSE 4 - VILLANOVA 3

The 2010 Big East softball tournament started Thursday morning with a battle between #4 Syracuse and #5 Villanova. Under sunny skies and humid temperatures, the teams kicked off the 10 a.m. game with fireworks in the first inning. After Syracuse went down in order in the top of the first, Nova started with four straight hits, sent seven batters to the plate and jumped out 2-0 on the Orange.

They kept the lead until the top of the 3rd, when the 'Cuse responded with 3 runs, keyed by a Hallie Gibbs two run double. Syracuse would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh when center fielder Veronica Grant got to the plate on a fielders choice after drawing a walk to start the inning. Villanova mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, opening the inning with two singles...but winning pitcher Jenna Caira retired the next three batters, allowing one run on a passed ball at the plate.

Gibbs went 2-4 for the winning Orange, driving in 2 runs and scoring once. Cara went the distance on the mound, giving up 9 hits and striking out 3.

(GAME 2)

DEPAUL 3 - RUTGERS 0

An hour and fifteen minute rain delay interrupted the bottom of the first inning in the Blue Demons vs. #8 seeded Scarlet Knights battle. When play resumed, DePaul scored the only run it turned out they would need when Alex Morocco scored on Brittany Yniguez's fly ball to left field. Becca Heteniak tossed six innings of two hit softball and Bree Brown came in for the final inning for the #1 seeded Blue Demons.

Katie Voss crashed a two run homer to left center in the fourth inning to complete the scoring for the Blue Demons.

(GAME 3)

NOTRE DAME 6 - PROVIDENCE 2

Christina Lux continued her love affair with Ulmer Stadium, driving in four runs for the Irish in the win. The first baseman slapped a 2 run single in the first to put the Irish ahead to stay. Sadie Ritzenberg rattled the fence in the second for a 2 RBI double in the second inning and Lux completed the #2 seeded Notre Dame run total in the 3rd with a 2 run homer.

#7 seeded Providence rallied for two runs in their final at bat in the seventh but Brittany O'Donnell saved the win for starter Jody Valdivia, who left the game in the 5th inning after taking a line drive off the leg.

Friday's action wiil have the Orange facing DePaul in the 2:30 opener and Louisville battling the Irish at 5 p.m.

Softball Cards split doubleheader with Irish

Notre Dame pitcher Jody Valvidia tossed a one hitter at Louisville in the first game at Ulmer Stadium Saturday, leading the Irish to a 5-0 win. Louisville rallied in the second to defeat the Irish 4-1.

On what was a perfect day for softball attending, UofL's women's softball team split a doubleheader with the Big East leading Notre Dame (33-7, 11-1) squad.

Louisville (27-14, 6-4) couldn't get the bats untracked in the opener, falling behind to the Irish in the top of the 3rd inning after Katie Fleury doubled home two runs. The Cards would give up two more scores in the 5th inning on a Brianna Jorgensborg two run homer to left field. Notre Dame added an insurance run in the 6th when Christine Lux got to the plate on a Kristina Wright single.

Valdivia allowed Kristin Austin the only Cardinal hit of the game and struck out five Cardinals while going the distance for her 26th win of the season. Kristen Wadwell took the loss for the Cards.

The Cardinal rallied in Game Two, striking early when Chelsea Bemis singled home Vanessa James in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. James would give the Cards two more runs in the 3rd with a bases loaded single. Notre Dame cut the margin to 3-1 off a 6th inning Heather Johnson home run blast. The Cards tacked on a run in the bottom of the 6th when Jennifer Esteban doubled down the left field line to score Katelynn Mann to complete the scoring.

Tori Collins tossed a five hitter at the Irish for her 9th win of the year. Esteban had three hits for Louisville.

A noon Sunday game completes the series.

*****************************************************************

Louisville Lacrosse was busy at the other end of the Cardinal campus and delivered a 21-9 win over Jacksonville. The Cards surged out to a 14-4 halftime leads against the Dolphins. Bergan Folly tossed seven goals into the net for Louisville on fourteen shots and Liz Lovejoy added four goals for Louisville, who improved their record to 8-5.

I didn't get down to the lacrosse field to watch the action but Paul did make the walk and reports that about 300 fans were in attendance to watch the match.

Cardinal Lacrosse continues on Derby Eve (Friday) against the UConn Huskies.

****************************************************************

Hope everyone had a great Thunder Over Louisville. Despite the technical glitches that delayed the 9:30 fireworks start, it was another spectacular show. It was also pretty cold down by the river and it might have been a good year to view it on TV. We haven't missed one yet, though..and have been then for much colder viewings than last night's.

Thunder is the official kickoff to the many Derby festivities and events that lead up to the First Saturday on May race at Churchill Downs. It is one of my favorite, as well. We've gotten together with a group of friends that has steadily grown over the past 21 years to watch the air show and fireworks. Although the venue when we meet up and tailgate has changed several times...the abundant food, beverage and good times never fail to please and delight. Grills smoking, cornhole games being contested...the delightful mix of young and old laughing and camping out in lawnchairs...it never gets old or stagnant.

And, thank goodness for the roaring firepit that greeted us last night after the walk back from the river. I do love this time of year so...

Written by Sonja
4/18/10