Cards split with Pitt -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

LOUISVILLE LOSES 2-1, WINS 12-0

While American Pharoah was trying on the garland of roses in the winner's circle Saturday at Churchill...Louisville softball was six hours away in Pittsburgh trying to fly past the Panthers in ACC Softball. Two strong pitching performances for the Cards on the day from Maryssa Becker and Shelby McCombs...but only one win at Vartabedian Field on the Pitt campus.

A bottom of the seventh inning, walk-off homer for Jenna Modic gave Pitt the 2-1 win in the first game. Maryssa Becker and Savannah King were locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel for four inning before the Panthers broke through for a RBI fielders choice by Modic to make it a 1-0 Pitt advantage.

The Cards tied it in the top of the sixth when Brittany Duncan singled home pinch runner Morgan Meyer. The Cards had the bases loaded with one out when Whitney Arion drew a walk but couldn't push the go-ahead run over the plate. 

Modic ended it after Louisville was retired in order in the top of the seventh. Her one-out, 2-1 count blast to right field improved Pitt's record to 33-17 and 10-10 in the ACC. 

Game two featured two Becker fence clearers and four RBI's for the Cards...who jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the third. Three Pitt errors and a passed ball...plus a two-RBI Hailey Smith single gave the Cards a nice cushion for McCombs, who was keeping the Panther bats at bay. 

Louisville added two runs in the sixth when Brittany Sims worked a base on balls and Becker sent Mr. Spalding on a trip over the right field fence.

The Cards added the final five runs in the top of the seventh. A three run homer from Sydney Benz and two run shot from Becker set the tally at 12-0. 

McCombs (9-5) allowed just two Panther hits in the shutout and struck out four. She retired the final seven she faced for her second complete game shutout of the season.

They'll play the rubber match today at noon. 

The win secured Louisville (29-16, 15-7) as the #4 seed in the ACC Tournament and they'll face #5 seed North Carolina State in first round action on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Blacksburg, Va.  

NCAA LACROSSE SELECTION SHOW TONIGHT

Kellie Young's Lacrosse squad will learn their fate tonight at 9 p.m. when the 26 teams that will comprise of the 2015 NCAA women's Lacrosse Tournament are named and seeded.

The ACC hopes to get seven schools in...North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Boston College and Syracuse all look to be "locks"...the Cards and Notre Dame probables for inclusion. 

It is the NCAA, though...so you never really know. 

You can watch on the NCAA.com site to see if LAX heads to their second straight NCAA Tournament. 

paulie
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