Softball slugs by NC St...Lacrosse today!...Upset Friday in NCAA WBB -- Saturday CARDINAL COUPLE

SOFTBALL SWEEPS THE PACK 10-1, 12-9

Louisville Softball produced 24 hits and 22 runs in a slugfest at Ulmer Stadium Friday afternoon...sweeping the NC State Wolfpack 10-1 and 12-9 in ACC Softball action. With the wins, the Hit and Pitch Cards improve to 21-9 on the season and 7-1 in ACC play. 

Duck and cover for the reviews! 

CARDS 10 - NC STATE 1

Louisville attacked the Pack early in the first game, scoring a run in the first inning when a Lillie Goetz ground-out brought home Sidney Melton. It was 2-0 after two...Jordam McNary tripled with two outs to right field...scoring Brittany Sims.

Louisville added four more in the fourth...Goetz's two RBI double the big blow in the frame as the Cards pushed the advantage to 6-1. More strong hitting in the fifth ended it...Ashley Nikolao scoring on a McNary sacrifice bunt and Megan Hensley driving in three with her squad-best seventh home run with McNary and Nicole Pufahl aboard. 

Maryssa Becker picked up her tenth win of the year...going the five innings with six strikeouts and allowing just three hits. 

LOUISVILLE 12 - NC STATE 9

NC State started the scoring in the nightcap by plating two runs off starter Hensley. The Cards evened it up in the bottom of the first on a Hensley RBI ground-out and a Jenna Jordan run-scoring single. 

A two-run blast by NC State's Brittany Nimmo swung the advantage back to the Wolfpack but UofL exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the second...Becker driving in McNary with a single and Melton scoring on a NC State error. A walk to Sims with the bases loaded got Becker home and a Pufahl single pushed two more. Melton's single capped the scoring and the Cards had a 7-2 lead. 

NC State would touch Hensley for two runs in the third and after the Cards produced two runs to take a 9-6 lead...the Wolfpack countered with three runs to tie it 9-9 in the top of the fifth. 

Louisville found the bats again in the bottom of the fifth...after walks to Hensley and Becker, singles from Jordan and Sims resulted in two runs scored to give the Cards a 11-9 lead. Becker took to the circle in the sixth and shut down NC State the rest of the way...UofL added an insurance run in the sixth when Melton got her fourth hit of the game, stole second to keep her perfect streak of 11 stolen bases alive and scored on a Hensley single. 

The Cards have won nine in a row now and face the Wolfpack today at noon to complete the series. 

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LACROSSE FACES VA. TECH TODAY

The 10-1 Louisville Lacrosse squad, ranked #6 nationally, returns to ACC play today when they face Va.Tech for a 1 p.m. start in the LLS. The Cards are 2-1 in ACC play and have won their last three contests...all out of conference.

The Hokies come to town with a 5-7 record and 0-2 in ACC play. They are currently on a five-game losing streak. 

Hannah Koloski registered five goals in Louisville's last outing...a 11-7 triumph at Cincinnati. Cortnee Daley leads Louisville in scoring with 31 net-finders, Koloski is next with 30 and Kaylin Morissette has connected 26 times. 

Both Softball and Lacrosse have Easter Egg hunts planned for pre-game festivities...so pack up the kiddies and attend one of these two events on the Belknap Campus today. 

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A WILD FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE NCAA...

March Madness lived up to its billing last night with four upsets in Sweet Sixteen play.

In Lexington, it was bye-bye Kitties...who suffered a 85-72 shellacking by #7 seed Washington. Rupp Arena might well be vacant Sunday...Stanford took out #1 seed Notre Dame in the second game 90-84.

Things were just as crazy in Sioux Falls last night. #4 seed Syracuse sent #1 seed South Carolina home with an exciting 80-72 win.

Say it with me:   Q !!!!!

The Tennessee Vols, another #7 seed, dispatched of #3 Ohio State 78-62 in the other Sioux Falls surprise. 

How's your bracket picks look now? 

Four more games tonight to get us to an Elite Eight. UConn and Mississippi State do battle in Bridgeport for the right to face the winner of the Texas v. UCLA contest. Down in Dallas, Doug Bruno will try to keep the DePaul magic conjecturing and the upset train rolling when his #6 seed Blue Demons tangle with #2 seed Oregon State. 

Will we see another night of surprises? Come March, you just never know...

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NO RADIO FOR YOU

The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR takes a week off today...being pre-empted by the Crescent Hill Easter Parade on Frankfort Avenue live broadcast on WCHQ 100.9 and streaming live on the internet at crescenthillradio.com

It's a fun event, Tara Bassett will be the gal-on-the-street providing commentary and descriptions. Give it a listen.

We've debated dressing Worldwide up as Ralphie in the  Christmas Story with the pink bunny outfit and shoes...but we're pretty sure he'd decline the assignment. Paulie's idea to dress as a chocolate bar and carry a sign reading "Eat Me" was disallowed by parade officials. Emphatically.

We'll see you next week on the radio.

paulie
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