SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE -- Softball splits with Notre Dame

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Cards split with Irish. Regular season title on the line today.

-Derby wrap up


The University of Louisville softball team fell in the first game to Notre Dame 5-4 but rallied to pound the Irish 15-1 in five innings in the nightcap. The two will meet today (weather permitting) to decide the BIG EAST regular season winner at 1 p.m. today in South Bend. 


Notre Dame 5 - Louisville 4

Louisville rallied from behind twice in the first game yesterday to get close...but it wasn't enough to defeat the Irish. Notre Dame jumped out to a first inning 3-0 lead off Caralisa Connell and the Cardinal defense. A two-out, two run homer was the Irish big hit to put them up by three after one.

Louisville rallied in the top of the second to make it 3-1 when leadoff hitter Maggie Ruckenbrod parked one in the bleachers in left field.

Alicja Wolny blasted her 10th. homer of the year in the third to cut the lead to 3-2.

After an Irish fence clearer made it 4-2, the Cards got solo, back-to-back homers from Whitney Arion and Jordan Trimble to tie it up at 4-4.

Notre Dame scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. A walk, bunt single and sacrifice bunt got a runner to third. A sacrifice fly to Hannah Kiyohara scored the winner...her throw to the plate not quite in time.
 
Rachel LeCoq took the loss, going to 19-5 on the season, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out four in six innings of relief. Louisville's four runs came on solo shot home runs.


Louisville 15 - Notre Dame 1

Le Coq started the second game in the circle for the Cards and she was involved in a pitcher's duel for the first two innings...a scoreless affair when Uofl came to bat in the top of the third. The Cards got a single from Kayla Soles, A walk from Jordan Trimble and a Katelyn Mann single to fill the bags with Cardinals. Alicja Wolny stepped up big with a deep double that cleared the based and almost made it over the fence. 3-0 Louisville

Notre Dame cut it to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run.

The Cards exploded for 12 runs in the top of the fifth. Trimble singled and scored on a Mann triple. Wolny drove home Mann with a single. Ruckenbrod then singled and Katie Keller followed with a three-run "good bye, Mr. Spalding"...to make it 8-1 Louisville.

Louisville was just getting warmed up.

Kiyohara walked and Taner Fowler reached on an error. Both scored on Soles' double. Trimble "sent one out for a fan" to push to Louisville lead to 12-1. Mann and Wolny then drew walks. Ruckenbrod drove home Mann with a single and Wolny and Ruckenbrod scored out a Keller double to provide Louisville with a 15-1 advantage.

LeCoq gets her 20th. win of the season....going five innings and allowing just two hits, one run and getting a strikeout in five innings.

They decide it today in South Bend. We hope for a "good" Carl appearance or Le Coq to rock again.

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DERBY WRAP UP

Sonja had the hot had again on Derby picks...with exacta picks in races #8, #9 and #10 and trifecta winners in #9 and #10.

I didn't do as well...but did hit the Pick Three and Pick Four that ended with the Derby race.

We both had ORB finishing second in the Derby, but bet him across the board anyway....for a nice $25.60 return on $6 invested. Congratulations to Shug McGaughey. One of the best and nicest trainers in the business.

The "tree" showed up the "apple" in the Derby, though. Sonja's mom had the $1 exacta. Her $20 wager paid $490.80.  She boxed Orb, Golden Soul, Goldencents, Giant Finish and Normandy Invasion.

Her betting strategy? She liked the name Orb, she included all the horses that started with "G" and her late husband (who's first name was Gene) was part of the actual Normandy invasion in WW II.

Happy Cinco de Mayo to you!

-Paulie

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