Softball Takes Two from Oakland -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

CARDS SWEEP OAKLAND 10-5, 9-1

Louisville Softball used seven home runs on the day and big pitching efforts from Alyssa Zabala in the first game and Taylor Roby in Game two hang a couple of losses on visiting Oakland University Sunday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium. 

(Photos by Jared Anderson)

CARDS 10 - OAKLAND 5

Louisville wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the first game when Hannah File took the first pitch she saw from Oakland pitcher Sydney Campbell in the bottom of the first inning to left center for a solo home run blast that made it 1-0.

 

UofL pieced together four hits for four runs in the bottom of the second...Sarah Gordon leading off the Cards at bat with a triple to right center and coming home on a Daisy Hess single. Hess would "steal" her way around the bases to score on a wild throw trying to pick her off when she stole third. The Cards added two more with two outs when Paige Geraghty singled on a drive right back at Campbell and Korbe Otis brought them both home with a bomb to left field. It was 5-0 Louisville and the Cards were not through dealing. 

After Oakland pushed a run across in the top of the third, the Cards countered with back-to-back four-baggers by Hannah File and Taylor Roby. That was enough to chase Campbell from the circle. Sarah Gordon drew a walk on the new Oakland pitcher, Hess singled and Elana Ornelas got plunked by a fast ball to load the bags full of Cards. Gordon was tagged out at home on a fielders choice from Makayla Hurst, but a single by Geraghty plated Hess and a Easton Lotus single to left got pinch runner Pickle Winkler and Ornelas home. File flied out to deep left to end the inning, but five runs had crossed the plate and the tally read 10-1 Louisville and a run-rule affair looked very possible.

The Louisville bats remained silent the rest of the way, though, and Oakland hitters touched Sam Booe, who relieved starter Alyssa Zabala, for four hits and runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-RBI triple. That was all the damage the Golden Grizzlies could do, though, and the squads went scoreless the rest of the way for the 10-5 final. 

LOUISVILLE 9 - OAKLAND 1 

(Taylor Roby went fence and beyond three times Sunday) 

Game two featured another early Louisville eruption on the Grizzlies.  And, what an opening display it was ! After Oakland opened the contest by going down 1-2-3, the Cards got back-to-back-to-back, bases empty home runs from Otis, File and Roby for an early 3-0 lead. Hess doubled in the inning also, but was left stranded.

Oakland put a hit-by-pitch, error and single together for a run in the top of the second, but three straight ground outs got UofL starting pitcher Roby out of danger. The Cards went on attack again to end the inning when Otis reached on an error with one out and came home on a Lotus triple to center. File sent a sacrifice fly to left to score Lotus and then Roby blasted her third home run of the day to center to make it a 6-1 contest. 

The Cards added a run in the fourth when Otis singled, advanced to third on a steal and wild pitch and then came home on a Roby sacrifice fly to left. Louisville's pitching and defensive was keeping the visitors off the scoreboard and the Cards acquired two runs in the sixth when Lotus doubled to left, Grant singled...scoring Lotus...and Ornelas' double to left scored Grant to reach the run-rule mark of 9-1 and end the game. 

Good wins, indeed, and a great thing to see the Cards' bats come back to life after the debacle in Oxford, OH Saturday against Oklahoma,  Louisville is in fourth pace in ACC play, with a 10-4 conference record. They are mere percentage points behind second place Clemson (14-4) and third place Duke (13-5). FSU is atop the conference. 

Louisville returns to action Wednesday with a visit to Big Red and WKU for a 7 p.m. tilt and then travels to to Charlottesville for a three game weekend series against the 8-10 (in ACC play) Cavs. 

POST GAME TAYLOR ROBY:  TAYLOR ROBY 

paulie