Cards Softball Run-Rules Boston College, sweeps series -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

CARDS SOFTBALL WIN STREAK NOW NINE GAMES WITH 8-0 WHITEWASH OF BOSTON COLLEGE. 

Louisville Softball used a four-run second inning and a four-run fourth inning to pile up the runs in Ulmer Stadium -- while four Cardinals pitchers (Alyssa Zabala, Taylor Roby, Gabby Holloway and Cassie Grizzard) held the Eagles to just two hits and no runs in the Sunday win. The win was credited to Holloway, who pitched the third and fourth innings, and she goes to 5-1 on the season. 

The win puts Louisville at 35-14 on the season and 16-4 in the ACC. They're currently in second place in the ACC, 2-1/2 games behind first-place Florida State. The Cards end the regular season at Tallahassee, a sweep of the Noles would give Louisville the regular season title.

In the final regular season game at Ulmer, Louisville used four walks (to Daisy Hess, Ally Alexander, Korbe Otis and Vanessa Miller) and a single to grab a 2-0 lead. Then, a Easton Lotus single brought home two more runners to set the stage at 4-0. As she's said often, Holly Aprile is a proponent of "small ball" and it proved to be beneficial in the early stages of Sunday's game. 

The Cards failed to score in the third inning, but struck again in the bottom of the fourth when Miller drew a walk to start the Cards-at-bat. Two outs quickly followed and it looked like another scoreless inning might be on the way for Louisville Softball...but Lotus drew a walk and Taylor Roby came to the plate. 

Roby took a 2-1 pitch deep to left-center field and the ball actually cleared the scoreboard in left-center for a three RBI home run. The blast was Roby's 21st of the season (tying her for the lead in the NCAA) and 61st of her career. It was 7-0 and the Cards weren't done yet. Sarah Gordon drew a walk and a Hess double to center brought the Cards catcher home for her squad's eighth and final run. 

Grizzard took the mound for the visitors half of the fifth and got a line out, pop up and fly out to set the Eagles down in order and get the "walk off". 

PHOTOS BY JARED ANDERSON

THEY SAID IT...

POST GAME INTERVIEWS (Courtesy of Jared Anderson)

HOLLY APRILE

TAYLOR ROBY

(parts of today's article were written by Sonja Sykes, as well as Paulie)