Softball splits in Charleston

The University of Louisville softball team went 1-1 in Saturday action in Charleston. A big effort by freshman pitcher Chelsea Leonard in the first game, tying a UofL record with 16 strikouts in Louisville's 7-4 win over Youngstown State.

The Cards jumped out to a 4-0 first inning lead, keyed by Vanessa James (pictured above) who banged a two run double. The Penguins tallied a run in the bottom of the first but Louisville came back with two runs in the second to put the game out of reach. A leadoff triple by Melissa Roth began the attack and the Cards tacked on an insurance run in the third inning. Youngstown State got their final three runs in the sixth inning from a three run home run blast by Autumn Grove.

Leonard ties the Cardinal strikeout record with her complete game...a record set last year by Kristin Wadwell against Eastern Michigan. She allowed four earned runs on four hits.

In the second game, Louisville once again jumped out to an early lead after a two run single by Roth had the Cards up 3-0 after the top of the fourth inning. Charleston Southern rallied against Cards starting pitcher Wadwell for a run in the bottom of the fourth and then seven runs in the botton of the fifth, including a grand slam homer off Wadwell by CSU's Jessica Peters-Brock. The Cards got one back in the top of the sixth with a Roth double but a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth by CSU closed out the scoring...as the Cards fall 9-4.

On the last day of the tournament, Louisville will play two Sunday, starting with Akron and the final against the University of Charleston.

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Congratulations to the University of Louisville swimming teams in the Big East Tournament which ended Saturday in Pittsburgh. The men's team took the title and the women came in second behind Notre Dame, after leading for two of the four days.

Written by Sonja
2/21/10