Louisville Softball Slugs past UNC...Final Four a foregone conclusion?...Radio replay -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

BATS STAY HOT IN CARDS 9-5 WIN

We mentioned on THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR show yesterday how impressed we were with Louisville Softball's slugging ability as of late. The Hit and Pitch Cards must have been listening...cracking three home runs and producing 11 hits in the 9-5 win. 

Two games were scheduled for yesterday but rain concerns pushed the start time of the first back nearly four hours and it was decided to play the double-header today. 

UNC tried to flood the Cards early...with a two-run first inning that included a home run by the Tar Heels' Kristen Brown off UofL starting picture Maryssa Becker. 

It took Louisville (24-6) a couple of innings to get the bats working but in the top of the third Jordan Vorbrink tripled for UofL's first hit of the contest. She was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice from Sidney Melton but it left two Cards on the bags for Becker...who cleared the right field fence for her sixth "touch 'em all" of the season. 

UNC battled back to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the inning but the Cards regained a 5-4 lead in the fourth when Nicole Pufahl singled and rode a Vorbrink home run to the plate. The Cards later brought three runs across in the sixth...getting a solo home run from Brittany Sims and RBI hits from Melton and Becker. UofL tacked on a final fun in the seventh when Lillie Goetz tripled and scored on a Jenna Jordan single.

Becker (13-4) was keeping the TarHeels bats stuck at home plate...going three innings of perfect pitching before allowing a final UNC run in the seventh. 

They'll play two today...starting at 9:30 a.m. We know the noon game will be shown on ESPN 3. You can follow the first game at: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=125051&a=1 

Keep those bats smokin', Cards! 

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NCAA WBB FINAL FOUR TODAY

It's "go" time at 6 p.m. this evening as the women's college basketball world works toward a Final Two. Oregon State will try to ruin the Connecticut Huskies march to their fourth straight title in the first contest and upstarts Syracuse and Washington will vye for the chance to face the winner on Tuesday about 30 minutes after the first game. 

ESPN is the home for the two games up in Indianapolis and rumors are there are plenty of tickets to be had at discounted prices in the area if you should want to make the trip and do a little freelancing today. 

Oregon State has complied an impressive season. Can they take it a step further and slay the giant? Realistically, nope...probably not...but they might as go ahead and play anyway because everyone remembers the Easter miracle a few years ago when Louisville was give no chance against Baylor. 

The second game will probably be a lot more exciting, we surmise. Both teams are making their first-ever Final Four debut and not many expected either would be there. Syracuse knocked out the Sioux Falls top seed in South Carolina, plus a determined Tennessee squad to advance to the Indy date. Washington ran over Maryland, Kentucky and Stanford...in what must be considered major upsets...to earn the right to dance on the first Sunday in April. 

Will you watch? Who do you want to win? How many times will the ESPN announcers heap praise uopn the Huskies program and refer to the other three schools as "cinderellas"? Give us your take on the progression from March Madness to April Advancement...in our comments section. 

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RADIO, SCHAMADIO...

The archived replay of our Saturday broadcast of The CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR soon be available on the SoundCloud at Crescent Hill RADIO later this morning. 

It was a great broadcast...Clay "Point" Barnes was in studio with us and we learned all about the ins-and-outs of sports videography. If you missed the live broadcast, you don't want to miss the re-broadcast. You can go to the Crescent Hill website to access it at: www.crescenthillradio.com

or click this LINK: https://soundcloud.com/chradio/cardinal-couple-20160402

paulie
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