Softball sweeps the Wahoos...Lacrosse drops another heartbreaker -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

SOFTBALL SWEEPS SATURDAY AGAINST VA.

Aliases (Hailey) Smith and (Kelsi) Jones delivered the real thing to help Louisville take two against Virginia Saturday. 

Sandy Pearsall picked up her 600th. win at Louisville (and the program's 600th. win) in the first game of the doubleheader at Ulmer Stadium Saturday and the Cards downed Virginia 5-0, 5-4 to go 5-0 in the ACC. 

CARDS 5 - VIRGINIA 0

The first contest was a breeze for sophomore pitcher Maryssa Becker...tossing a no hitter through six innings and pitching her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to go to 4-1 on the season. 

She was aided by four Cardinal runs in the first three innings

and a towering shot to left center by junior third base star Halley Smith to add insurance in the fifth. 

Becker was one out away from the no-hitter but three Virginia singles loaded the bags for the visitors. A harmless popup ended it for the Cards. 

Smith ended up going 3-3 for the winners and Becker struck out eight Wahoo batters. 

CARDS 5 - VIRGINIA 4

Kelsi Jones picked a great time for her first home run of the season...a two-run, walk-off, left-center blast to end the nightcap.  

The second game was a see-saw affair that had Virginia taking the early lead 2-0 in the third on a two-run bomb by Aimee Chapdelaine, Louisville tying it up in the bottom of the fifth and seeing the visitors plate two more runs in the top of the sixth.

The Cards got it back to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth and retired Virginia in the top of the seventh behind the strong pitching of Madi Norman...who had relieved starter Shelby McCombs after a determined 5.1 innings. 


Louisville needed a big finish and they got it when Kayla Soles ripped a double down the third base line and stepped aside for pinch runner Sidney Melton. Melton got to trot home on Jones' fence clearer for the win. 

Sometimes...hitters know when they've hit a home run the second it leaves the bat. In Jones' case, she told CARDINAL COUPLE she was "willing" her blast out there at the plate. In the press box, Worldwide and I knew it was headed for Brandeis Avenue when it took off...a high, rainbow moonshot that bounced off the jogging track some 30 feet past the fence.

Which Sis? We don't know but UofL beat both
on Saturday...

Her game-winner came off VA freshman pitcher Andie Formby...who has an identical twin sister (Alex) that pitched the first game. The Wahoos softball SID told us that the only way he can tell them apart is by where their ear piercings are located. The Formby twins are from Orange, CA...a long way to travel to play college ball.

Happy 600th. Coach P! We'll be there to cover 700, 800 and baby grand. Louisville heads to Ohio this week for games against the Buckeyes and Miami of Ohio before hosting North Carolina on March 21st.

Louisville Softball is probably as surprised as the rest of the league that they are perfect at this point of the season in ACC play. They have taken games against two programs "on the mend" as far as rebuilding and restocking goes...but a "W" is a "W" in the books and Pearsall's players showed determination and resolve by battling back in the nightcap game three times to eventually get the win.

Be sure to catch next Saturday's Cardinal Couple for interviews with Pearsall and Jones about the wins.

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LACROSSE FALLS 10-8 TO DUKE 


Kellie Young's lacrosse team is probably playing their best stickball in the history of the program as of late but falling just short in the talent-laden ACC Conference. 

Yesterday the Cards jumped out to an early lead against #3/4 Duke in the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium, battled the Blue Devils to the wire but fell 10-8 to the undefeated Durham, NC school. 

Louisville trailed this defensive gem 5-4 at half-time but put together a 3-0 run early in the final half to take a lead that held until the final five minutes of the game.

The Cards trailed 9-8 with 1:11 left and had just gotten the ball back on a furious goal-circle stand when Kellie Young called timeout to set the game-tying offensive strategy for the LOULAX squad. 

Something went awry in the progression...Goalkeeper Ashley Peacock's toss from near the goal sailed to the middle of the field where it was intercepted by Duke, who held possession until the end...getting a meaningless goal as time expired.

Another tough defeat in another game where the Cards did everything right to put themselves in a position to win but just couldn't put the final points on the board to secure it. 

The Cards fall to 5-2 overall and 0-2 in ACC play. 

We'll feature interviews with both coaches...Duke's Kirsten Kimel and Louisville's Young on the next broadcast of CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO on Saturday, March 21st. 

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Our latest CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO broadcast is up and archived on the Crescent Hill Soundcloud. Worldwide and Paulie are in rare form as they discuss intern absenteeism, lacrosse, hoops, softball and other women's sports. Jeff takes another WorldWide quiz and Don Paulie pops in at the end of the show. Link below:

BEING BAMBOOZLED BY BROADCASTING BALL SCORES



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