Softball Sweeps and More - Monday Cardinal Couple

Softball at Virginia Tech

The Softball squad got it started early Saturday in the series finale vs Virginia Tech, putting 7 on the scoreboard in the 1st inning and would hold on for the 10-8 win.

The Cards got it going early with Jordan "The Governor" McNary getting on base with a 1-out walk.  Big sticks Maryssa "Beck" Becker and Nicole "Poof" Pufahl loaded the bases up with base hits for each.  Megan Hensley, who somehow doesn't really have a Cardinal Couple nickname yet, got McNary and Poof home with a double, setting up Jamie "The New Pride of New Egypt, New Jersey" Soles own RBI double.  Alison "Mike, Mike, Mike" Szydlowski, brought Soles home with a single.  Morgan "Mo" Meyer reached to put two on for Caitlin "She's just a freshman and she needs a nickname too" Ferguson to bring home.

The Hokies clawed back 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, both teams went scoreless in the 2nd, and the Cards would finish their scoring in the 3rd.  Soles and Mike both got singles to get on base.  Mo Meyer, who started out her career with the Cards as a slapper, but hits for power these days, got a solid shot up the middle to bring Soles home.  McNary, who started out her career as a speedster slapper and remains so to this day, got an infield hit that brought Mike home.  McNary, demonstrating that speed, stole 2nd, and an error on the throw gave the also quite quick Meyer time to cross the plate for a 3 on the scoreboard in the 3rd.

A scoreless 4th, then VT put up 4 in the bottom of the 5th, and a single one in the bottom of the 6th to reach the final score after a scoreless 7th of 10-8.

Becker gets the win for pitching 5 innings, with Megan Hensley coming in for the save in relief.

Pearsall and the squad will be back at Ulmer tomorrow evening, the 18th, with a 5pm first pitch at Ulmer.  This one will be on The ACC Network Extra if you can't get off work soon enough to make it down there.  You may find it a bit easier to make it down there the next day, Wednesday, at 6pm when in-state WKU comes in to play.

Swimming

Cardinal Forever Kelsi Worrell continues to show the world that she's a force to be reckoned with in
the butterfly stroke, winning the Mesa, AZ even in the Arena Pro Swim Series Saturday night.

Winning the 200-meter stroke, Kelsi is extending the events for which she is known as she heretofore has achieved her success in the 100-meter and shorter races as a pure sprinter.  The winning time of 2:09.04 was 3.59 seconds better than her prelim, so she clearly is putting some effort in some of the longer races.

Other Cardinals Forever at the event included Andrea Cottrell which finished 4th in the 100-meter breast stroke, Silvia Guerra who touched 16th.  Alina Kendzior picked up 11th in the 100-meter backstroke, with Casey Fanz in 15th and Lainey Visscher in 16th.  Cottrell and Kendzior placed 15th ant 16th in the 200-meter IM, and Sophie Cattermole was close behind.  A couple of Cardinal guys were there as well, with Zach "Batman" Hartung picked up a 4th place finish in the 200-meter butterfly, and Carlos Claverie got a top 3 finish in the 100-meter breaststroke, and just missed the podium in the 200-meter IM.

JMcA