UK SOFTBALL TAKES ONE FROM CARDS 7-4
Hi readers, Daryl here..
It worked out for Jared and I to switch days this week as he covered the Cardinals in Lexington on Wednesday and I have something going on in the evening. So I get to recap the rivalry on the softball diamond!
Softball
Photos from Jared Anderson
Louisville falls to #16 Kentucky 4-7
Unfortunately, it's another loss to that blue team down the road, the second time this season and the 4th time in a row. The last UofL win was in 2019... where the Cards walked it off when Taylor Roby's two-out single in the seventh plated junior Celene Funke for an 8-7 win over #23 Kentucky...
The 2023 meeting in Lexington started off with the Cards showing life on offense scoring a run against Kentucky's second-in-line Alexia Lacatena in the circle. But UK responded to that opening half inning of the game with three runs in the bottom of the first. UK plated a run in the third and three runs in the fourth, in addition.
Louisville had 4 pitching changes in the game and gave up 12 hits and committed two errors, including one huge one that allowed UK to score 3 runs in the 4th.
It wasn't close after that until UK starter Lacatena, who had thrown over 100 pitches, started to get tired. She gave up a fielding error and a hit and a homer from the top of the UofL lineup to give Louisville some life and pull it within 7-4 in the top of the 7th. UK then decided it was time to put in a new pitcher and successfully sat the Cards down 1, 2, 3 after that.
Louisville showed some offensive ability to start and to finish but not the entire way through, which Kentucky has found a way to dominate the Cardinals in recent meetings between the two programs. UofL needs to lick their wounds from this one and come back stronger for the second half of the season.
Top of 1st- Cards draw a walk on the first at bat and then Sarah Gordon takes first pitch for a left center single and move Korbe Otis to third. Taylor Roby walks to load the bases. Daisy Hess takes an RBI- SAC fly to LF to put the Cards on the board.
Bottom of 1st - Freshman RHP Alyssa Zabala starting in the circle for the Cards. She gives up a single to the lead off hitter and the Cardinal defense commits an error to allow 2 runners on and nobody out. The Cards put Coffel on to load the bases with no outs... Cats Cleanup hitter hits it back up the middle for an RBI single where the Cards finally get an out. But UK able to connect for another RBI single before Zabala strikes out the 7th batter of the inning.
LOU Inning Summary: 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors, 1 LOB
Top of 2nd - Ally Alexander flies out to LF, Pickle Winkler drops it behind SS to get on base, Geraghty slaps it over the pitcher and everybody is safe. A flyout to RF by Otis and foul out from Gordon ends the inning with 2 left on and this is where their offense went pretty cold after that.
Bottom of 2nd - the Cardinal infield gets their rotation of outs to leave 1 Wildcat stranded. Cards #B Alexander scoops the bunt for the out at 1B. Hess secures the following hit for out #2 of the inning. Lead off for UK comes in to put the next pitch in play for the single.
LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
Top of 3rd - Louisville goes 1, 2, 3 in fly-outs in the top of the third to keep it 3-1.
Bottom of 3rd - A leadoff walk by Zabala followed by a slap to Lotus at 2B and the quick decision to go to first gets the out just in time. A pop up to RF and throw to third would get the runner to stay on second but she would be more aggressive in the next opportunity as UK scores on the single through the SS and 3B gap.
LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOBUK Inning Summary: 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
Top of 4th - Back to back 1,2 3 outs for the Cardinals on offense.
Bottom of 4th - Gabby Holloway comes in for the Cards to relieve Zabala. At the top of the lineup two Kentucky hits and strong base running to beat the throws put runners on the corners in the bottom of the 4th. Hannah File had the opportunity to end the threat with a manageable foul hit out of bounds that bounced off the palm of her glove. Like it usually does when you make those kind of errors, it comes back to bite ya and one of the top Cats' offensive threats takes advantage and smacks a line drive up the middle for the RBI single and UK now scored 6 unanswered to make it 6-1. The Cards make a pitching change to put Roby in but she gives up a line drive on the LF line to score another and make it 7-1 before Lotus secures the pop up to end the inning.
LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOBUK Inning Summary: 3 Runs, 5 Hits, 1 Errors, 2 LOB
Top of 5th- Geraghty gets on with a left field line-drive single to start the fifth but the Cards fly out on the next 3 to come up scoreless again.. It's looking like another possible run rule for UK??
Bottom of 5th- Roby handled the pitching duties in the 5th giving up a single before retiring the next 3 UK batters.
LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB
Top of 6th - Cards in scoring position in the top of the 6th but Pickle cant get the slap through the UK defense and UK gets third out at 1B to end the possible threat by the Cards.
Bottom of 6th - UK back towards the top of the lineup where the offensive leaders will lead off the bottom of the 6th and batters 2 and 3 both get on base with a single to 3B and a walk before Holly Aprile calls Cassie Grizzard's number for the 4th pitcher of the night for Louisville. She picks up the Cards' second strikeout of the game and a tall bounce out to 1B when File climbed the ladder for the grab and beat the runner to end the inning.
LOU Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
UK Inning Summary: 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB
Top of 7th - Geraghty again gives the Louisville offense a spark as she connects and moves to 2B on an error by UK. Otis follows up with a line drive to right center to finally put another tally on the scorecard for UofL. Sarah Gordon then steps up to homer one in the same direction as Otis' hit to pull the Cards within a 7-4 striking distance. Cats call it a night for their starting pitcher at 119 pitches on the evening. A UK error on 1B would give File the base followed by a pop up from Roby, Hess and Lotus go down to end the rally and game.
LOU Inning Summary: 3 Runs, 2 Hits, 2 Errors, 1 LOB
Cardinals Softball will continue their road trip to Syracuse, NY for an ACC tilt with the Orange on the ACCNX starting Friday-Sunday.
WBB
Photo from Jared Anderson
SEC has a nice platform for their softball on ESPN -- getting Pam Ward on the call is huge, she's one of the best play-by-play out there and she's going into the Maryland Sports Hall-of-Fame today. And, SEC Softball is probably better than ACC softball from top to bottom.
ReplyDeleteStill, Louisville could have just gone through the motions and taken a 7-1 loss last night. Instead, they showed a little pride and heart and kept it interesting. Gordon is really impressive for just a freshman.
Blue Lou
Great for Carr.! She was one of the highest % in women's D1 this season.
ReplyDeleteNick O
If you need a bucket call CC!!
Delete