Soggy Softball Starts today...

FRIDAY as seen through the eyes of CARDINAL COUPLE:


-Red and Black Softball Tournament today


-Catching up on Girls H.S. hoops.


-Seton Hall set to visit LADY CARDS Saturday


Take off those soggy tennis shoes and have a cup of cocoa (bring two!) coz' it's time for the Friday edition of Cardinal Couple! (insert applause...)

Day One of softball's RED and BLACK Classic is scheduled to get underway at 11 a.m. this morning with four games on tap (weather permitting). The events today at Ulmer Stadium:

11 a.m. Boston University vs. SIUE
1 p.m. Louisville vs. SIUE
3 p.m. Louisville vs. Boston University
5 p.m. Miami (OH) vs. Wright State


The Cards roll into the three day event with a 5-5 record. This is Louisville's home opener...having spent the last two weekends on the road. The Cards participated in tournaments in Texas and Alabama...facing stiff competition in both from the host schools, Syracuse and Tulsa...among others. The Cards will play five games over the weekend...giving Sandy Pearsall's young pitching staff another tough test. We think Connell, Leonard and Collins will come through just fine...Chelsea Bemis (pictured above) should have a big weekend swinging the aluminum...


The Cards will open against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIUE). The Cougars are 3-6 on the year and have been playing some very tough competition in UCLA, Tennessee and Long Beach State. They play in the Ohio Valley Conference and this is the first time the Cards and Cougars have ever met. Senior pitcher Erika Taylor is 1-4 on the year and shortshop Kasey Schlafke leads the team in home runs and runs scored.


Next, the Cards face Boston University. The Terriers haven't played yet this season but they have won the America East Conference two years running...so they'll be a good test for Pearsall's players. They're picked to finish first again and boast April Setterlund...who is on the National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. The senior outfielder set six school records in 2010 and was the AEC Player of the Year. First ever meeting between the Cards and Terriers.


The rain is supposed to be gone by game time and Ulmer is a great place to watch softball, so grab the coat and hat and head on out for a fun afternoon of pitcher versus batter. Admission is free and they sell coffee and hot chocolate. CARDINAL COUPLE will be there and will provide our readers will all the activities over the three day event.
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We've gotten a little backed up in high school girls basketball coverage but tonight is a big night in district play. Both Manual and Mercy have advanced to the Seventh Region playoffs and Manual's Mechael Guess has been named Seventh Region Player of the Year. Guess, a senior, is headed to Pittsburgh to play college volleyball for the Panthers.
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Manual beat Mercy in 25th district action 74-68 but both move on to the regionals. We're glad to report that Rockcastle County and Sara Hammond won the 47th. district finals and will advance to the regionals, too. Makayla Epps, Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Bre Elder lead Marion County into the 20th district finals tonight. Other local district action:
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21st - Holy Cross vs PRP tonite for the title
22nd - Doss and Butler tonite in the finals
23rd - Central 59- Presentation 41 (both advance)
24th - Bullitt East 57 - Bullitt Central 43
26th - Fern Creek vs. Assumption (GO CREEK!)
27th - Sacred Heart 53 - Ballard 51
28th - Christian Academy 49 - J'Town 40
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Good luck to all!

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Louisville plays their final home basketball game of the year against Seton Hall Saturday and it will be Senior day for Keisha Hines and Laura Terry. Terry no longer suits up for the Cards (knee injuries) but has been a valuable and hard working assistant student manager for Jeff Walz and the 'Ville'. We'll always remember Terry's saving defense in the final seconds of the Louisville win against Rutgers in the BIG EAST tournament in the 2007-08 season. (Laura and the beautiful smile pictured here.)
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Hines is the other Cardinal that was brought in by former coach Tom Collen. Jeff Walz calls her a "survivor" and is the only Cardinal on roster to have played four years at Louisville. Hines came in as a backup to Chauntise Wright during her freshman year and impressed Cardinal fans right away with 25 points against Florida in only her sixth game as a Card. She moved into the starting position her sophomore year and has patrolled the post for the Cards ever since. Hines has been a blue collar, behind the scenes foundation for Louisville teams since she's been here. Never flashy of flamboyant...she's worked the paint against some of the best post players in college basketball over four years and always battled gamely and physically against them. Her play in the 2009 run to the Final Four was outstanding...despite the fact her grandmother passed away...she had a career game a day later against Oklahoma. Keisha has been like so many of us out here...gets up each day, goes out and does the job without any headlines or superlatives and does it well. (Keisha pictured on the job here.)
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We know that Anne Donovan hasn't has the kind of season to go running down the Jersey Shore yelling and celebrating about..but Seton Hall must be respected Saturday. A win over Louisville would be the high point of their season and they are fighting to stay out of the cellar in the BIG EAST. We hope the Cards have practiced well for this one and that Mo's ankle has held up. WE think the Cards win rather handily in this one and give the Louisville fans in the KFC YUM Center plenty of fond memories of playing and being in the YUM Center to carry over to next season.
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Certainly no pressure here, but if the Cards win, Rutgers falls to WVU, UConn beats Georgetown and Marquette loses to DePaul...Louisville would be alone in 4th place at 10-5 with one game to go. 4th place means a double bye in the BIG EAST TOURNAMENT. Make it so, Cards.
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