Softball Brings in Transfer Infielder -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Bailee Richardson Joins Louisville in 2024

Daisy Hess will no longer be the only former Georgia State player on the Louisville softball roster next season. Hess's former teammate for the Panthers, Bailee Richardson, will join Louisville as a graduate transfer next season. Last season, Richardson led the team in RBIs (33), doubles (8), home runs (9), and slugging percentage (.551). She was 7 for 7 on stolen bases as well. The infielder joined Georgia State after winning back-to-back state championships in high school and being named the defensive player of the year in 2018. 

Similar to Hess, a lot may be expected of Richardson as a touted glove straight out of the gate. We'll have to see how that turns out, but Richardson will also look to give the Cards a boost in an offense that has more holes than expected after the end of last season. For her career, Richardson was a .310 hitter that totaled 29 home runs, 25 doubles, 107 RBIs, and 89 runs. Hitting for average should transfer pretty well across leagues in softball, and Louisville will definitely need some players that can make the most of their time at the plate after losing an OBP leader in Korbe Otis from last season and an RBI machine in Sarah Gordon. 

2022 GSU Softball with Hess (b. row, 3rd from
right) and Richardson (m. row, 3rd from right)

The addition of Richardson may give an indication of what Louisville intends to do about the catcher position. Richardson played some second base, but it feels safe to say Easton Lotus has that position locked down. Richardson's other regular position was the hot corner at third. Louisville has three players listed with catcher as one of their positions on the 2024 roster. Two are freshmen. The third is Ally Alexander, who has primarily played third for the Cards. Sliding Alexander 60 feet and inserting Richardson alongside her former teammate on the left side of the infield could provide the defense Louisville needs, but things might get thorny if one of the freshmen is a better fit behind the plate. The Cards will get one year of eligibility from Richardson before she and Hess graduate from UofL together.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll still be without Jared this week but we should have plenty of hands on deck to bring you a full show. We'll have some Globl Jam to talk about after missing last week as well as plenty of news and notes about the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics from the last couple of weeks. As always, 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

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Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Adds Transfer Mack -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

MACK JOINS SOFTBALL CARDS FROM UK

It seems the Louisville softball offseason news continues. Chelsea Mack has announced that she is transferring to UofL.

Mack joins the Cards after spending her freshman season with rival Kentucky. The Brecksville, Ohio native is listed as an outfielder and played in 39 games last season. She logged six runs scored and eight stolen bases during her freshman campaign.

In high school, she was 81 of 83 in stolen base attempts, a school record. She hit .726 her senior year while logging 32 RBIs and 57 runs scored. She was a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American.

The announcement of the addition of Mack is a bright spot less than 24 hours after the announcement of ACC Freshman of the Year catcher Sarah Gordon leaving to go to Georgia. My personal thoughts are that Gordon chose to go somewhere closer to home (Lexington, S.C. to Athens, GA is about three hours). The Bulldogs did earn the 14 overall seed in this year's NCAA Softball Tournament. We have also received intel of a couple more current UofL players exploring options in the transfer portal.

In other news, we are less than two months away from fall sports starting up. Field hockey and women's soccer tend to begin in mid-August with volleyball usually beginning shortly after. The Cardinal Couple Crew is eager to get back out to the various facilities and sports to bring the greatest in the Joy and Excitement of Louisville Women's Athletics.

WALZ PRESSER 6/26/23

Coach Walz met with the media Wednesday to provide updates on a variety of subjects and topics. The link to watch and listen is below. It is about 45 minutes long, so grab a comfy seat, coffee and bagel. 

WALZ PRESSER 6/23/23

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball's Sarah Gordon to Georgia -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

FRESHMAN CATCHER TO TRANSFER TO GEORGIA

Louisville starting and freshman softball catcher will be leaving Louisville to attend  and play softball at the University of Georgia next season.

Gordon entered the transfer portal on May 26th, shortly after the Cards season ended in the NCAA Tennessee Regional, The ACC Freshman of the Year and a first-team All-ACC team selection in 2023 batted ,370 for the Cards, had 11 home runs and 49 RBI's for Louisville. . 

Gordon came in a did a masterful job as the Cards main catcher with the pitching rotation.. No other catcher was listed on the UofL roster, but third basemen Ally Alexander did fill in at the spot a couple of times.

Gordon is one of three Cards in the portal, along with center fielder Korbe Otis and pitcher Cassie Grizzard. There are also five seniors or graduate students believed to be departing as well, including pitcher Taylor Roby and starter Hannah File.  

 

The big question now is...who takes over behind the plate for the Cards? Louisville's recruiting class of 2023 has six student-athletes coming to campus.  The incoming players' bios show two excellent pitchers (Brooke Gray and Lindsey Mullen), there are two outfielders (Katie Thatcher and Ava Venturelli) and players Char Lorenz and Jac Hasty are listed as infielders  catching experience.. 

It's possible the Cards could also obtain a catcher the same way Georgia landed Gordon...through the transfer portal -- but no announcement on that had been made yet. 

One might say it's rough for a freshman or new catcher to get to know a pitching rotation new to them...but that's exactly what Gordon did and it most certainly could happen again. She turned into one of the best catchers in the nation in just one year, and that's what makes the departure a tough one to handle. 

A noted philosophy is "to leave if you want a better situation and find one", so one has to figure that was part of Sarah's thinking. The Georgia Bulldogs were 42-15 in the 2023 season and the 14th seed in the NCAA Tournament. They won their regional before getting knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by #3 Florida state in the Super Regional

Gordon's statement: 

"I want to thank Louisville for an amazing first year. Thank you to Card Nation who supported me during my best and worst games and introduced me to so many amazing young girls and more. I was given an amazing opportunity to grow and start to become who I want to be in the game...alongside some amazing players who helped me do that. Being so blessed to accomplish what I did my teammates helped push me every day so I could be where I am. I am grateful that God led me here to start my career and will forever hold the memories made this year close to my heart."

Gordon will be missed, no doubt, but sometimes...when a door closes, a window opens. Let's hope for the best for the Cards behind the plate in the future and thanks to Gordon for the year she gave Louisville. 

paulie

UofL Puts Three on D1 Softball All-American Lists -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

With the summer slump getting ready to come for us in full force, it's important for us here at Cardinal Couple to keep you on your toes. As such, you've got Case in the driver's seat today and I'll be back on Saturday. I'm covering for Jared, who shifted to Friday to cover for Daryl, who covered for Paulie yesterday completely outside the confines of our other schedule rework. You've gotta stay flexible around here.

Gordon, Otis, and Roby Honored by D1 Softball

With the announcement of D1 Softball's All-American lists yesterday, the Cards saw three players add to their list of accolades. The publication names three teams as of this year, with a freshman team being added alongside the first and second teams. The normal teams consist of players 1-9 on the diamond along with a two-way player, three additional pitchers, and four utility players. The freshman team didn't name a two-way player but had a total of six pitchers, giving that team one extra spot.

Sarah Gordon was named to that inaugural freshman team, holding down the catcher role. It was a good year for catchers in the state, as UK's Kayla Kowalik took the spot on the second team. The first team catcher was Oklahoma's Kinzie Hansen, one of five Sooners on the first team. OU added two more on the second team to represent seven of the Big 12's nine honorees on the first and second teams. The SEC led the way with ten, and Tennessee played a part in that as the only other team with multiple first teamers (two). 

Taylor Roby and Korbe Otis were both named to the second team, with Otis in the outfield and Roby claiming the two-way spot. Roby and Otis make up half of the ACC delegation in those top-two teams, though the other two players made the first team. Clemson's Valerie Cagle was the first teamer in the two-way spot, which makes sense since she was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. FSU's Kathryn Sandercock joined Cagle on the first team in one of the pitcher slots. IU's Taryn Kern just snuck onto the first team, claiming the last utility spot. She had significantly less competition for the 2B slot on the freshman team. Kern was the only freshman to be honored on either the first or second team. Despite their success, OU didn't place any freshman on the list. That said, I wouldn't count on a Sooner drop off in 2024 just yet.

We extend congratulations to Louisville's honorees and look for more exciting things to come from the returning players in 2024. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-Case

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

Softball Begins ACC Tournament -- ACC Softball Awards -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Opens ACC Tournament Against Virginia Tech

Louisville softball opens up their 2023 ACC Tournament trip against 5-seed Virginia Tech. The Cards and Hokies did not face each other this year. Virginia Tech swept the series last season in Blacksburg and hold a 15-8 advantage over UofL all time.

The Cards enter the tournament as the 4-seed after going 16-7 in conference play and 35-17 overall. Taylor Roby and Alyssa Zabala have been the dynamic duo in the circle this season, commanding a majority of the time. They have 2.42 and 2.84 ERAs, respectively. Sam Booe, Gabby Holloway, and Cassie Grizzard have each contributed from the bullpen.

As a team, Louisville hits .317 with six Cards hitting above .300. Korbe Otis leads the charge at .399 with 67 hits. Roby's 22 home runs is a team-high and is tied for the lead nationally. Six Cards have at least 24 RBI's. Sarah Gordon leads the team in doubles with 12 while Otis has seven triples. 

The Cards' woes have mainly come from a defensive standpoint with a plethora of fielding and throwing errors. Louisville has had great success with zero or one errors per game while anything above that has been a factor in a majority of the losses.

Virginia Tech enters the game 36-17 on the year with a 14-10 ACC record. They've found success from the defensive end. However, they have run-ruled 11 opponents this year.

The Hokies hit .298 as a team with just four regulars hitting above the .300 mark. Emma Ritter paces the team with 61 hits and a .365 batting average. They have five players with double-digit home runs Bre Peck leading the team with 15.

Emma Lemley has been the ace for Virginia Tech. She carries a 3.37 ERA with 262 strikeouts against just 42 walks. Lyndsey Grein has also seen a fair amount of time in the circle with a 4.08 ERA. She has recorded 89 strikeouts to 39 walks.

Louisville and Virginia Tech will take the field at 1:30 p.m. today and will be aired on ACC Network.

In the first day of action, 9-seed Syracuse took down 8-seed Virginia 8-2 and 10-seed Georgia Tech upset host 7-seed Notre Dame 8-1.

Several Softball Accolades in ACC

The ACC awards and teams were announced yesterday and there was no shortage of recognition for Louisville players.

Sarah Gordon was named ACC Freshman of the Year. The catcher has played every game this season behind the plate. She ranks second on the team with a .385 batting average and 62 hits while her 12 doubles is a team high.

Gordon is the first player in Louisville history to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. She was recently named to the National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. Gordon was also named to the All-ACC First Team.

Korbe Otis joins Gordon on the All-ACC First Team. The sophomore center field led the team in batting average, hits, and triples this season. She was a perfect 8-8 in stolen bases and set the portogram record with a 35-game reached base streak.

Taylor Roby was the third Cardinal to be named to the All-ACC First Team. The graduate student retained her do-it-all role by leading the Cards in the circle with a 2.42 ERA and powering the team at the plate with 22 home runs and 55 rbis.

Daisy Hess was named to the All-ACC Second Team. The shortstop transferred into Louisville this season and made an immediate impact. She helped command a youthful infield while hitting .342 with 52 hits.

Easton Lotus was named to the All-ACC Third Team. After missing much of last season due to a leg injury, the sophomore started every game at second base. She closed out the regular season on a 16-game hitting streak and hit .291 with 48 hits on the year.

Alyssa Zabala was named to the All-ACC Third Team. The freshman pitcher was quick out of the gate this season with her impact on the pitching staff. Her 14 wins was best on the team as were her 87 strikeouts. Zabala carried a 2.84 ERA but just a 1.19 WHIP.

We hope to see plenty more in the future with so much young talent on the team.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Falls Short in Tallahassee -- DERBY DAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards' Rally Not Enough in 6-4 Loss

Louisville gave FSU all that they could handle in game one of the final weekend series of the season, but the Seminoles ultimately came away with the win and clinched the ACC regular season title in the process. Louisville stayed in touching distance throughout the game, but left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh to end the game. Today and tomorrow's games will be on ACC Network proper as the Cards are still playing for third place in the league. Louisville needed a sweep to stay ahead of Duke for second place, and they'll need to win the series to beat Clemson for third. Louisville has shown that they have some surprises in store, so we'll see what the rest of the weekend brings.

As for last night's game, Louisville was a bit lucky that things didn't get out of hand early. The Cards went 1-2-3 in both of the first two innings while Florida State put runners in scoring position with one out in each inning. The bottom of the first saw an error move runners to second and third before a pop out and a strikeout got Taylor Roby out of the jam. A walk and a steal led to the RISP in the second, but this time Roby induced a pair of grounders. 

The top of the third saw Louisville finally get on base. Pickle Winkler, batting in the eight hole, was the first Cardinal to get the ball out of the infield, and she did so by singling to right center. Her efforts were erased by a groundout fielder's choice and a groundout to end the inning. The third also saw increased success for FSU. Instead of reaching base for the first time, the Seminoles reached home. A pair of singles would have put runners on first and second, but an error in the outfield moved the batter to third and brought the leadoff hitter home to score. Louisville was in a 1-0 hole with nobody out and a runner at third. A pop out saved the run for one more batter but a single scored her next. A foul out gave the Cards two outs but their third error of the night put two runners on and chased Roby from the circle. Alyssa Zabala came in and got a strikeout to end the threat. Louisville trailed 2-0.

The Seminole lead was short-lived. Easton Lotus lined out but Taylor Roby poured a single into center. Vanessa Miller came on to pinch run, but, as has happened before, Sarah Gordon made the substitution moot with a home run. A fly out and a pop out followed, but Louisville had tied things up at two. Like Florida State, Louisville had no time to celebrate their small victory. After a ground out, Zabala gave up three straight singles, with the third scoring a run. A good throw in and a poor rounding of third by the FSU baserunner allowed Gordon to throw back to the bag to get the second out. With runners at first and second and two outs instead of the bases loaded and one out, the flyout Zabala induced next ended the inning. The Cards responded to going down 3-2 with another three up, three down inning.

FSU welcomed Zabala to the fifth with another single and Holly Aprile had seen enough. Gabby Holloway came in and immediately gave up a single of her own. This one was deep enough for the runner to go from first to third, and the throw across the diamond allowed the batter to advance to second. A fly out tacked a second run onto Zabala's line as her runner came in to score, but Louisville was able to double up the runner from second by throwing straight to third instead of home on the sacrifice. A hit-by-pitch put runners on the corners but a ground out ended the threat. Officially, Holloway would go down as the only one of six combined pitchers thrown by the two teams (seven if you count the FSU starter reentering) to not allow a run. Nevertheless, Louisville was now down 4-2.

The top of the sixth saw the top of Louisville's order up, and Korbe Otis started the inning the way she probably wished she started the game. After beating out a bang-bang play (the Cardinal Couple crew was split on the decision), her being on base became a big deal when Lotus singled to right center. Big deal you say, right? Well it was when the FSU shortstop erred to move Lotus to second and score Otis. Three quick outs ended the inning but the Cards had clawed a run back.

Sam Booe entered to take on the home half of the sixth and two quick singles looked quite negative. Booe bounced back to get a pair of outs and runners stood at first and second with two down. Booe would get a foul out to end the inning, but not before a double scored both runners. FSU led 6-3 entering the last frame for the visitors. The Cards put on their rally caps and drew two walks to open the inning. Someone must have moved in their seat, though, as those two runners with nobody out quickly turned into two runners with two outs after a strikeout and a pop out. Otis got things back on track with a walk to load the bases, and Lotus fired a shot right back at the pitcher, who couldn't field it cleanly. Everyone moved up sixty feet and the score moved to 6-4. Into the box stepped the NCAA leader in home runs with the bases juiced and a two-run ball game. It wasn't meant to be, though, as a strikeout meant the #3 Seminoles survived the upset bid.

As I said before, Louisville still has plenty to play for, and a win would go a long way toward boosting their NCAA tournament resume. The two teams will square off for game two of the series at 2PM today on ACC Network before wrapping on Sunday at Noon, also on ACCN. Tune in to see if the Cards can make some magic happen.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

If you listened to last week's show or have followed along with the site the last couple of weeks or have kept up with the site for years, you'll know we're off this week. It's Derby Week in the Derby City and that means that Saturday is jam packed full of other stuff. We'll be back next week to discuss the ACC Softball Tournament and any other news and notes that come up as part of the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

PS - Check out Paulie's Picks to be more informed on your Derby Day. A little birdie told me it was a pretty successful Oaks Day for our fearless leader. 

Cards Thump BC to Open Weekend -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Homers and Small Ball Lift Cards to Run Rule

In the opening game of Louisville's home finale weekend, the Cards gave fans something to be excited about as they send off their seniors. Despite an early run by Boston College and a slow start offensively for Louisville, the Cards used a big fifth inning to take control of the game and earned a walk-off run rule an inning later. When all was said and done, Louisville had earned their seventh straight win with a 10-2 victory.

BC opened the scoring in the top of the first when the first five batters were able to put the bat on the ball against Alyssa Zabala. The first two both singled, and the next three grounded out. Unfortunately, those ground outs were productive, moving the runners in both of the first two instances to bring around the leadoff hitter to score. Zabala stranded the runner at third and turned the ball over to her counterpart in the circle. Louisville was also seeing the ball well early. A hard liner by Korbe Otis was caught at short, but Easton Lotus reached base on a walk. After Taylor Roby fouled out, Sarah Gordon also walked. Daisy Hess broke the trend of odd-positioned players in the order getting out and sent a double to right to score Lotus. The Cards left two in scoring position, but they tied the game 1-1.

Zabala settled in a bit, finally getting an out that didn't depend on the defense with a strikeout for the second out of the second inning. A single opened the inning, but the strikeout split a pair of groundouts for no damage. Vanessa Miller opened the bottom half of the inning with a four-pitch walk and Paige Geraghty singled two batters later to put a pair on. A wild pitch to Otis put two runners in scoring position, but she would ultimately strike out. Lotus grounded out to end the inning and leave both runners on.

The ground balls continued for Zabala until they didn't. After two more ground outs opened the third, a BC batter finally got under the ball instead of on top of it. Hannah Slike, the three-spot hitter for the Eagles, got ahold of a 1-0 pitch to send a home run over the left field wall. It was her seventh home run of the season, leading the team. A pop-out ended the top half with BC back on top by a run, 2-1. Their lead didn't last long. Taylor Roby opened the bottom half of the third with a solo shot of her own to level the game back at 2. Like Slike, Roby is Louisville's leader in home runs. Unlike Slike, Roby is also the NCAA leader in home runs. The third inning blast was her 20th of the year. The homer rattled the BC pitcher a bit, as Louisville followed it up with a walk and two singles. The second, by Hannah File, scored Gordon from second to give Louisville its first lead. Louisville went on to load the bases with one out after a strikeout, a steal, and an intentional walk. Unfortunately, a liner straight to third ended the inning when the third baseman caught it and stepped on the bag for the double-play. Louisville led 3-2. They would not yield that lead.

The fourth was relatively uneventful, with both teams getting a runner on base without the benefit of a hit. BC got a hit by pitch to split two strikeouts and Roby was pitched around to earn a walk for Louisville. BC threatened a bit in the fifth, with a single and a walk putting two runners on. Slike was unable to capitalize, though, and she grounded into a double play. 

The Cards then went to work. Daisy Hess earned a nine-pitch walk to open the inning. Needing many fewer pitches than that, Hannah File sent her tenth homer of the year over the wall on the second pitch of her at-bat to score two. Maddi Grant pinch hit for Miller, but her time in the game was short lived after she walked and Miller immediately replaced her back on the base paths. Ally Alexander bunted Miller over, and Makayla Hurst also earned a pinch hit walk, this time for Geraghty. Just like Grant, Hurst was replaced at first right away. Korbe Otis stepped up with runners on first and second and singled to center. The hit was deep enough for Miller to score, and the ensuing throw by the center fielder was off-line. Geraghty scored on the throw and Otis advanced to second. Easton Lotus hit a full-count triple to right to score Otis, and the success of batters ahead gave Roby big eyes. She was first pitch swinging for the fences but was rewarded with just a pop out. Gordon knocked a two-out double to score Lotus and the Cards officially batted around in the inning. They'd go no farther than Hess, though, as she flew out to center to end the inning. With a two-run home run and three more RBI hits, Louisville left the inning leading 9-2. One more would have ended the game, but the teams played on.

Sam Booe entered for Zabala in the top of the sixth and made short work of the Eagles. Despite needing 11 pitches to force a foul out from the leadoff batter, Booe got a one-pitch ground out and a three-pitch foul out to end the inning 1-2-3. File opened the bottom half for Louisville with a single. She was obviously in pain at first, with a nagging injury suffered at Virginia coming back to haunt her late in this one, and asked to be removed. Elana Ornelas was brought on to pinch run, and she advanced to second after Miller was hit by a pitch. Ally Alexander swatted a full-count single into left field and Ornelas came around for the walk-off run. Final score: 10-2.

Ornelas's entry in the sixth meant every senior being honored this weekend appeared in this one with the exception of Taja Felder. It's a little surprising to see her not get a nod in the circle with Louisville so far ahead, but we will see what the rest of the weekend brings. Hurst earned the pinch hit walk, and Roby and File both homered. While Roby's day was a bit light, the solo home run being joined only by a walk, File had a big afternoon. Her home run was part of a 3-4 day with three RBIs. Hopefully she's able to return to the field without pain from that leg injury.

Sarah Gordon isn't a senior, but she also found herself being honored this week. Gordon was named to the Top-25 List for the National Freshman of the Year award. Two more cut downs will happen with a Top Ten announced on May 11th and three finalists named on May 25th. The winner will be announced on May 30th in Oklahoma City ahead of the WCWS. Gordon joins Megan Hensley and Maryssa Becker as players to have been named to the list. No Cardinal has won the award. Gordon is second on the team in batting average with a .404 (Otis: .411) and RBI with 42 (Roby: 51). She's also tied for third with Otis in home runs with eight, trailing Roby's 20 and File's 10. She's one of four Cardinals with an OPS over 1.000, sitting at third with a 1.122. Joining her are Roby (1.357), Otis (1.205), and File (1.094). She has started all 47 games as a freshman.

Leading up to this series, I talked quite a bit about how these were must win games. Louisville didn't start it out very convincingly, but they ultimately picked up their seventh straight win and their tenth run-rule victory of the year. They've edged ahead of Duke into 3rd in the ACC on winning percentage. One more win would put the Cards out of reach of Virginia Tech or UNC for fourth in the conference, which would be a great result for Louisville. I think it's fair to say our expectations remain higher, though. That said, assuming Duke wins their last two against Pitt, Louisville would need to complete the sweep this weekend and sweep the Seminoles in Tallahassee next weekend to finish third in the league. Such a performance would give them a chance to win the ACC, which would be quite the coup. I'll settle for completing the sweep this weekend and letting the chips fall where they may next weekend.

The series against Boston College continues today at 2PM. The game will be on ACC Network proper. Let's hope the weather cooperates for the teams, with some light rain in the forecast.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

After taking last week off, we're back with a show this weekend. There will be four of us on as we recap the last couple of weeks for Louisville spring sports. Despite some interesting sound bites of late, we'll stay on brand and bring you the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics. As always, 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

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Photos by Jared Anderson

Softball Slides Past Miami (OH) -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Earn Walk-Off Run Rule

On a beautiful spring evening that threatened to turn ugly but ultimately turned out rosy, Louisville softball played a game against Miami (OH) that oddly mirrored the weather. The Cards jumped out to a 6-0 lead early before a grand slam brought the Redhawks right back into it. Louisville would respond immediately and prevent further scoring to bring home the run rule. On the weather side, the game started in the mid-upper seventies and somewhat overcast. A lightning delay cleared the stadium just after the Miami grand slam, but it was all clear skies after the delay ended with the thunderstorms that were forecasted never fully developing. Louisville managed to coast to a 12-4 win.

Taylor Roby got the start last night, which seems to fully solidify the idea that Alyssa Zabala has taken the ace spot in the rotation as the implication is that she was held out for today against Oklahoma. Roby gave up a single and a walk in the first, but the defense behind her was strong, and the Cards stranded a pair of runners. In the bottom half, we saw a change in the batting order for the first time in quite awhile. While Korbe Otis stayed in the leadoff spot, Easton Lotus moved up from sixth to second. Hannah File and Taylor Roby stayed in the 3 and 4 spots, but Holly Aprile moved Sarah Gordon from second to fifth to try to take more advantage of the consistent batting she has displayed. After a groundout by Otis, the next three batters reached base on an error, a four-pitch walk, and a two-strike single. Gordon came through immediately in her newfound position in the heart of the order, swatting a deep fly ball to left for a sacrifice fly. It was Louisville's first, but certainly not their last, unearned run of the game. They left runners on the corners and went to the second with a 1-0 lead.

A double kicked things off for Miami in the second, but Roby buckled down to get out of the jam. She induced a foul-out to third, then put the opposite corners of the outfield to work with a pair of flyouts. In the bottom half, Louisville started the opposite to Miami and struck out. This time, one out saw four straight batters reach base. Pickle Winkler started for just the eighth time and hit a full-count single in her first at-bat. Paige Geraghty and Korbe Otis also singled to load the bases. As if she hadn't been moved from the sixth spot, Lotus stepped up with the bases loaded ahead of her. She promptly cleared them, and showed the speed she impressed with last year, with a triple. Her speed came back into play immediately, when Hannah File grounded out straight at her. Rather than try a play at home, Miami just took the out at first. Louisville would score no more, but they led 5-0.

 After a foul out to open the third, Roby gave up a single and an 11-pitch walk. Outside of the four balls, the batter fouled the other seven pitches away. Both to save her arm and to work out of danger, Coach Holly Aprile made a pitching change, bringing in Gabby Holloway, who got a strike out and a ground out to end the threat. Sarah Gordon led off the bottom half with a walk, but without the usual big hitters behind her, she wasn't immediately brought around. She avoided becoming double-play fodder on a ground out to third but still stood at second after Ally Alexander struck out for the second time. Winkler stepped up and decided to go for it with a first-pitch double to score a run. Geraghty popped out, but Louisville's lead had been extended to six.

The fourth inning was less than ideal. A single opened the inning, and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second. A single put runners on the corners and a pop out gave Louisville two outs to work with. A walk loaded the bases, though, and that set up the aforementioned grand slam. A line out ended the inning but Louisville's once formidable lead was now just 6-4. Thus began the lightning delay. Since Louisville led, four "equivalent" innings had been completed. However, five are required for a game to be official. So, the two teams waited it out.

After an hour and four minutes (30 minutes from the last identified lightning), the two teams retook the field. Miami made a pitching change with their hopes back up, but Louisville quickly dashed them with the top of the order. An error and a bunt single saw Otis and Lotus standing at second and first, which is not comfortable for any defense. File struck out, but Roby walked to load the bases. Aprile put Vanessa Miller on first as a pinch runner, but Sarah Gordon looked over at the dugout and laughed. Aprile had saved Roby a 180-foot trot, as Gordon launched a grand slam home run of her own to left center. Otis scored Louisville's second unearned run. Daisy Hess followed up the home run with a double, and Makayla Hurst advanced her to third with a pinch-hit ground out. Pickle Winkler stepped up and knocked her third hit of the day to center to score Hess, unearned. After a first pitch single from Geraghty, Miami made another pitching change. Turner's final line was five hits, five runs, three earned, and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning, and she was on the hook for two more runners. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position but Korbe Otis grounded right back to the pitcher on a 2-0 count to end the inning. 

Despite the long break, Aprile went back to Gabby Holloway in the top of the fifth. She got a strikeout to open the inning but moved a runner to third after a double and a wild pitch. A fly ball to right field seemed like it would be deep enough to score the run, but Winkler (on the high of her strong day at the plate) had a monster throw to hold the runner. A ground out ended the inning and kept Louisville's lead at 11-4. Easton Lotus, enjoying her spot near the top of the order, singled to third and advanced to second on a throwing error. She then moved up to third on a wild pitch but couldn't come home on a ground out to second. No matter, really, as Louisville walked it off on an Easton Lotus steal of home on yet another wild pitch. Laurelai DePew threw 11 pitches. Three of those were wild. Since she had advanced on what were technically three errors, Lotus's run was unearned, Louisville's fourth of the night. Since it put them up by eight runs after five equivalent innings, that was the ball game.

Despite never giving up a run and never seeing her lead yielded, Taylor Roby didn't get the win in this one as she didn't pitch enough innings. She wasn't the most effective we've seen her, as she gave up three hits and two walks in two and one-third innings. With no strikeouts, it's a bit of a head scratcher, but she didn't give up any runs either, so you can't be too mad at the effort. Holloway's final line was two and two-thirds with four runs, all earned, on four hits and a walk. She had two strikeouts and earned the win. The grand slam right before a lightning delay was tough luck, but she was bailed out by Louisville's strong offensive showing.

Easton Lotus and Madison "Pickle" Winkler had career days at the plate. Lotus scored four runs in four at bats after moving up to the two spot and also had three hits with three RBI (though they all came on one hit). Winkler, in the start, had three hits in three attempts with a run scored and two RBI. Sarah Gordon moved to a spot in the order where more baserunners could consistently be on ahead of her and she had five RBI and two runs scored in one official at bat (one walk and one sacrifice).

Louisville will need to carry the good vibes with them as they travel to Oxford, Ohio in the odd shared invitational setup. The Cards will get the honor of taking on the consensus #1 Oklahoma Sooners today at 4PM. The game will be carried on ACC Network Extra. Yes. It's a game at a non-ACC school against a non-ACC opponent that is not the host school, but Louisville will play as the home team and it will be on ACC Network Extra. Don't ask me; I don't make the rules. At any rate, while the best-case scenario for Louisville would be a shocking win, I think the more realistic goal is to not let a bad result today snowball into poor future performances. We've discussed Louisville's precarious tournament hopes, and, while a run-rule loss to Oklahoma today probably wouldn't impact them much, allowing such a loss to bleed into a bad performance in tomorrow's double-header against Oakland would be disastrous. Hopefully we see some surprises today and Louisville can put themselves in a competitive situation.

Other Events on Deck

In addition to softball's game today, several other teams are in action. Track and field continue their split weekend in Florida and at home. Swimming participates in the TYR Pro Series, and women's golf is at the ACC Championships. From the fall sports in spring play perspective, Louisville women's soccer and volleyball are both back at home this weekend. Soccer hosts Michigan State with time still listed TBA, and volleyball brings in Tennessee at 6PM. Louisville lacrosse will also play host, as they take on Duke at 1PM at Louisville Lacrosse Stadium.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

I'm out this week as a wonky work trip plays havoc with my schedule. It's been quiet in the Cardinal Couple group chat so I can't give you everyone else's status, but rest assured that the show will go on. As always, 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

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Cards SB fall to #16 UK 7-4 -- Chrislyn Carr invited to 3-Point Championship -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

UK SOFTBALL TAKES ONE FROM CARDS 7-4

Hi readers, Daryl here..

It worked out for Jared and I to switch days this week as he covered the Cardinals in Lexington on Wednesday and I have something going on in the evening.  So I get to recap the rivalry on the softball diamond!  

Softball

Photos from Jared Anderson 

Louisville falls to #16 Kentucky  4-7 

Unfortunately, it's another loss to that blue team down the road, the second time this season and the 4th time in a row.  The last UofL win was in 2019... where the Cards walked it off when Taylor Roby's two-out single in the seventh plated junior Celene Funke for an 8-7 win over #23 Kentucky... 

The 2023 meeting in Lexington started off with the Cards showing life on offense scoring a run against Kentucky's second-in-line Alexia Lacatena in the circle.  But UK responded to that opening half inning of the game with three runs in the bottom of the first. UK plated a run in the third and three runs in the fourth, in addition. 

Louisville had 4 pitching changes  in the game and gave up 12 hits and committed two errors, including one huge one that allowed UK to score 3 runs in the 4th.  

It wasn't close after that until UK starter Lacatena, who had thrown over 100 pitches, started to get tired.  She gave up a fielding error and a hit and a homer from the top of the UofL lineup to give Louisville some life and pull it within 7-4 in the top of the 7th.  UK then decided it was time to put in a new pitcher and successfully sat the Cards down 1, 2, 3 after that.

Louisville showed some offensive ability to start and to finish but not the entire      way through, which Kentucky has found a way to dominate the Cardinals in recent meetings between the two programs.  UofL needs to lick their wounds from this one and come back stronger for the second half of the season.  

Top of 1st-  Cards draw a walk on the first at bat and then Sarah Gordon takes first pitch for a left center single and move Korbe Otis to third.  Taylor Roby walks to load the bases.  Daisy Hess takes an RBI- SAC fly to LF to put the Cards on the board.  

Bottom of 1st - Freshman RHP Alyssa Zabala starting in the circle for the Cards.  She gives up a single to the lead off hitter and the Cardinal defense commits an error to allow 2 runners on and nobody out.   The Cards put Coffel on to load the bases with no outs...  Cats Cleanup hitter hits it back up the middle for an RBI single where the Cards finally get an out. But UK able to connect for another RBI single before Zabala strikes out the 7th batter of the inning.

LOU Inning Summary: 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB

Top of 2nd - Ally Alexander flies out to LF, Pickle Winkler drops it behind SS to get on base, Geraghty slaps it over the pitcher and everybody is safe.  A flyout to RF by Otis and foul out from Gordon ends the inning with 2 left on and this is where their offense went pretty cold after that.   

Bottom of 2nd - the Cardinal infield gets their rotation of outs to leave 1 Wildcat stranded. Cards #B Alexander scoops the bunt for the out at 1B.   Hess secures the following hit for out #2 of the inning.  Lead off for UK comes in to put the next pitch in play for the single.

LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB

Top of 3rd - Louisville goes 1, 2, 3 in fly-outs in the top of the third to keep it 3-1. 

Bottom of 3rd - A leadoff walk by Zabala followed by a slap to Lotus at 2B and the quick decision to go to first gets the out just in time.   A pop up to RF and throw to third would get the runner to stay on second but she would be more aggressive in the next opportunity as UK scores on the single through the SS and 3B gap.  

LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB

Top of 4th - Back to back 1,2 3 outs for the Cardinals on offense. 

Bottom of 4th - Gabby Holloway comes in for the Cards to relieve Zabala.   At the top of the lineup two Kentucky hits and strong base running to beat the throws put runners on the corners in the bottom of the 4th.   Hannah File had the opportunity to end the threat with a manageable foul hit out of bounds that bounced off the palm of her glove. Like it usually does when you make those kind of errors, it comes back to bite ya and one of the top Cats' offensive threats takes advantage and smacks a line drive up the middle for the RBI single and UK now scored 6 unanswered to make it 6-1.   The Cards make a pitching change to put Roby in but she gives up a line drive on the LF line to score another and make it 7-1 before Lotus secures the pop up to end the inning.

LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 3 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB

Top of 5th- Geraghty gets on with a  left field line-drive single to start the fifth but the Cards fly out on the next 3 to come up scoreless again..  It's looking like another possible run rule for UK??

Bottom of 5th-   Roby handled the pitching duties in the 5th giving up a single before retiring the next 3 UK batters.  

LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB

Top of 6th - Cards in scoring position in the top of the 6th but Pickle cant get the slap through the UK defense and UK gets third out at 1B to end the possible threat by the Cards.  

Bottom of 6th - UK back towards the top of the lineup where the offensive leaders will lead off the bottom of the 6th and batters 2 and 3 both get on base with a single to 3B and a walk before Holly Aprile calls Cassie Grizzard's number for the 4th pitcher of the night for Louisville.   She picks up the Cards' second strikeout of the game and a tall bounce out to 1B when File climbed the ladder for the grab and beat the runner to end the inning.  

LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB

Top of 7th - Geraghty again gives the Louisville offense a spark as she connects and moves to 2B on an error by UK.  Otis follows up with a line drive to right center to finally put another tally on the scorecard for UofL.  Sarah Gordon then steps up to homer one in the same direction as Otis' hit to pull the Cards within a 7-4 striking distance.  Cats call it a night for their starting pitcher at 119 pitches on the evening.  A UK error on 1B would give File the base followed by a pop up from Roby, Hess and Lotus go down to end the rally and game.

LOU Inning Summary: 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 Errors, 1 LOB

Cardinals Softball will continue their road trip to Syracuse, NY for an ACC tilt with the Orange on the ACCNX starting Friday-Sunday.  

WBB 

Photo from Jared Anderson

University of Louisville guard Chrislyn Carr has been selected to the Celsius Women's 3-Point Championship roster for the 34th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships at the Bayou Music Center in downtown Houston on Thursday, March 30. Carr is one of eight players selected for the event that will air live on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Good luck in the contest, C.C.!  We know you will represent the Cardinals well.

As Always, 

Go Cards!

~Daryl