Softball hangs on against Michigan 5-4

SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- LeCoq bails Cards out in win over #14 Michigan.

- Lacrosse travels to play Presbyterian


- BIG EAST: 1st round WBB Tournament Action

- Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Sat. 11 a.m.

Paulie delievers a stirring rendition of "Innagadadavida" at
MArkie MArk's Celebration Day festivities...

A couple of truisms about Cardinal Softball pitcher Caralisa Connell. When she's good, she's very good. When she's off, she's very off. Limiting Michigan to one run in six innings yesterday, she needed bailout relief from Obama Rachel LeCoq in the seventh inning to preserve the one run lead and win for #13 ranked UofL.

The squads battled through four scoreless innings yesterday at Ulmer Stadium in the Red and Black Classic before the Wolverines punched in a run during the top of the fifth inning. Connell allowed four hits in the inning and got out of a potentially disastrous situation by getting Michigan to ground-out with the bases loaded and two outs.

The scare must have put some life into the UofL bats...they countered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jordan Trimble and Katie Keller both reached safely on singles to start the inning and after an intentional walk to Alicja Wolny to fill the bases with Cards with one out, Maggie Ruckenbrod smacked a two out, two RBI double to deep left that made it 2-1 Louisville.

The Cards got going again in the sixth. Whitney Arion singled, Jennifer Esteban drew a walk and Katie Keller singled home Arion to make it 3-1 Cards. Alicja Wolny got a chance to actually swing the bat for once and made UM pay with a two run RBI single. 5-1 Cards after six innings.

Caralisa was the
most popular
Cardinal Women's
Athlete of 2012
according to CARDINAL
COUPLE readers.

Connell gave up a Wolverine single in the top of the seventh and Ashley Lane's home run blast made it 5-3. A Michigan single and double produced another run with the tying run on second.

Exit Connell, enter LeCoq.

The Colgate transfer got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, a fielder's choice moved the runner to third for the second out and a groundout ended the game. 5-4 UofL.

Connell (10-2) got credited for the win, LeCoq the save...her first of the year.

Louisville returns to the field today with 2:30 game vs. Miami (OH) and 5 p.m. tilt against Austin Peay. If you plan on making a day of it...first game starts at 9:30 a.m. when Michigan plays Illinois State in their pajamas.

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Nikki Boltja is UofL's leading scorer

Louisville Lacrosse (4-1) heads to Georgia to take on Presbyterian College in Cummings, GA. The Cards are coming off a close victory over Vandy Wednesday and face a 1-5 Blue Hose (no...it's not a mis-spell) squad who earned their first win of the season against Stetson 17-7 on Tuesday.

Louisville defeated the "Prez's" last year 20-3. This UofL squad is light-years better...maybe they make it 40-6 this year.

Nikki Boltja, Louisville's leading scorer on the season, had six goals last year against the...Blue Hose. If only she'd worn her little, black cocktail dress.

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Anne Donovan, Seton Hall's coach,
is asking the ref if she can
play 10 players against UConn

The Big East WBB Tournament is off and running and in first round action...Seton Hall had a tougher time than I expected against UC, winning 60-55. Marquette lives to fight another day...thumping pitiful Pitt 66-43 and Georgetown handled Providence 81-61 in the night cap....despite 35 points by the Friars' Tori Rule.  

Seton Hall gets St. John's today at noon, Rutgers and USF go to war at 2 p.m., Marquette plays DePaul and Villanova and Georgetown close Day 2 action.

A lot of CARDINAL COUPLE Pick 'Em contestants went 3-0 on the day...good luck today with your selections. 42 brave souls are battling for the $25 Chili's Gift Card.

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CARDINAL COUPLE HOUR returns for our second broadcast today at 11 a.m. on Crescent Hill Radio.

www.crescenthillradio.com

We'll discuss Louisville women's basketball, softball, lacrosse, BIG EAST WBB Tournament and try to squeeze in a few more sports as well. I've also (hopefully) got a few sound-bytes from the Thursday Media session with the Lady Cards and Coach Walz. I think I've got Nita Slaughter and Sara Hammond interviews. Me and mechanical devices...never a good mix.

-Paulie

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