Softball Gameday and Recap
As we welcome the return of Daylight Savings Time, a lament the lost hour of sleep last night, we have a classic spring Cardinal Couple update today with Softball and Lacrosse.
Softball opened conference play yesterday with two games against Virginia Tech after rains on Friday pushed that game to yesterday.
Virginia Tech boasted a 15-3-1 record before the weekend started, and after the double-header last night, unfortunately (well, fortunately for them) are now at 17-3-1.
VT is quite a good team, currently ranked anywhere from 11th to unranked, depending on which poll you're looking at. The most recognized and well-regarded polls seem to have them at 15th.
The first game of the day started at 3pm, and it wasn't a great outing for the Cards, particularly in the pitching circle. Alyssa Zabala took the reigns to start the game, but only pitched for 1.2 innings allowing two runs, and leaving a runner on base for Gabby Holloway to inherit. That runner would score, but Holloway would not allow any more in that inning, or the two that followed.
To be fair, the home plate umpire for the game seemed to have a strike zone about the size of a pineapple, but was at least consistent in that strike zone for both team.
The only score for the Cards would be in the 3rd inning. Ally Alexander singled, advanced when Chelsea Mack reached on a fielding error. Then a pair of walks, to Daisy Hess first to load the bases (and leave no room for her to steal 2nd), and then to Riley Frizell to score Alexander.
The 5th inning was the particularly unpleasant one for the Cards. Holloway started the inning in the circle, but after a walk and a single, and 2.1 innings of work, was lifted for Sam Booe. Immediately after Booe took the circle, VT got a pop out, but then things went south, with the two already on base, plus another scoring, the last a result of a bases loaded hit-by-pitch.
That brought Lindsey Mullen to circle. While she did finish out the game, the appearance wasn't spectacular. She allowed four singles and a at fielder's choice before getting the final out of the inning. The score advanced from 6-1 to 11-1. The Cards would, of course, get a chance to answer, but no production in the bottom half of the inning saw the Cards take their first run-rule loss of the year.
The second game got started at around 5:40 in the evening and was quite an epic affair.
VT got single runs in the 2nd and 5th innings, but the Cards would answer in the bottom of the 6th.
The scoring started with Chelsea Mack. Thanks to a off-target throw from 3rd, her single got her to third. It was scored as a single and advance on the error. During Daisy Hess's at-bat, a wild patch let Mack zip across the plate. Riley Frizell got on 1st thanks to a short-stop bobble, ruled an error, while Hess sped her way to 3rd. Pickle Winkler pinch ran for Frizell, and promptly stole second. Vanessa Miller then singled out to center at which point Daisy Hess scored and Pickle advanced to 3rd. Miller then promptly stole second as well. (It's not just Hess stealing 2nd on this team.) Unfortunately that would be the end of the scoring for the Cards, but it did tie the game at 2-2.
That state of affairs would hold for several innings, into bonus softball. VT would finally end the stalemate with a 3-run homer in the 10th, which the Cards would have no answer for.
Virginia Tech completes the visit to The 'Ville with a third game at Ulmer today at 4:30pm. The late hour for the start time prompted by it being on ACC Network linear. Still a cool day in the forecast, but being sunny should make it a bit nicer if you decide to head out to Ulmer.
Lacrosse
Louisville Lacrosse welcomes the number three team in the country to the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium at noon. Boston College comes calling with a big challenge for the Cards.
BC's only loss, they're 7-1, comes against Northwestern, a team that UofL knows well enough to understand that loss is not shameful at all.
The Cards will need to stop, or at least slow down, Rachel Clark and McKenna Davis with 28 and 26 goals in the eight games so far. They'll also need to be wary of Emma LoPinto, Cassidy Weeks, and Belle Smith who are all also in double digits for the year.
On the Cards side of the ball, we'll be looking for more production from the Nakazawa sisters, and for Nicole Perroni to extend her consecutive game scoring streak. If Kylea Dobson and Allegra Catalano can also contribute at levels that we know they're capable of, that will really be a boost.
This will definitely be a challenge for the Cards against one of the best teams in the country. You can check it out and cheer them on ACC Network Extra streaming at noon.
Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast
Once again, the whole crew was on board for this voyage of the CCRHP. It's always enjoyable when all of us can be together for the show.
Once again, I wasn't able to get the streaming going as my old and decrepit laptop continued to give me problems. The good news (maybe?) is that you can hear me go on for far too long about my new laptop that arrived Friday that should put me in a good spot to do the streaming in the future when I get the requisite software configurations set up.
In more relevant discussions, we of course covered the fortunes of basketball, ranted more about WBB officiating, and gave some time to Softball, Lacrosse, and a bit of spring Volleyball.
Check it out!
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JMcA
Here's hopng NCSY can "can" the Irish today...
ReplyDeleteNick O