Lacrosse Hosts Ohio State -- Softball Struggles -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Lax Hosts Buckeyes for Midweek Match

Louisville lacrosse steps out of conference play for a brief moment to host Ohio State today at 1:00 pm. It will be streamed on ACCNX.

The Cards recently fell at home to ranked Virginia 13-8. They trailed 8-7 heading into the final quarter but the Cavaliers utilized a large run to open the frame. The loss moves Louisville to 6-8 on the year with three games remaining in the regular season.

Ohio State comes into the match with a 7-5 record. While the Buckeyes' schedule isn't quite as grueling as Louisville's, Ohio State has had a tough stretch lately. They recently pulled off a 9-8 upset over #23 Penn State but lost big to two of the top three teams in the country in Maryland and Johns Hopkins.

Jamie Lasda has netted 34 goals this season for Ohio State. They have six other players with anywhere from 11-19 goals scored. In comparison to Louisville, Kokoro Nakazawa (43 goals) and Nicole Perroni (34 goals) lead the charge of five players with double-digit goals or higher. Ohio State has outscored opponents 151-122 while Louisville has been outscored by 10 on the year.

This is a match that could swing in either team's favor, but we hope a little homefield advantage and the chance to creep closer to .500 will provide some motivation for the Cards.

Softball Struggles

Frustration has been the theme for Louisville softball this year. There have been nine games where the Cards have lost by two or fewer runs or lost in extra innings. A big part of that has been defensive errors. Stat-keeping around the country tends to be a little friendlier towards hitters with more hits and less errors, but the 'Jared Book of Errors' doesn't view things that way.

The two losses to Florida State had a official total of six combined errors. I'd put that number closer to 10. Still, you hope to have no errors every game. Defensive errors have cost the Cards several times this year. Officially, Louisville has 45 total defensive errors for a .960 fielding percentage. Oklahoma ranks top in the country with a .986 fielding percentage. The Cards are tied for 157th in the country in that category.

Key injuries have impacted the Louisville lineup too. Easton Lotus had a hand injury early in the season in Florida. The starting second baseman was hitting over .300 and a perfect fielding percentage when she went down for the year. Recently, Ally Alexander suffered a fracture in her hand. The starting third baseman, now-converted second baseman does not have an estimated return time. She ranked high on the team in fielding percentage for the starting rotation and was hitting just shy of .300.

The Cards sit at 10th out of 13 teams in the ACC and would sneak into the conference tournament if it started today. They would not be in the NCAA Tournament if it started today.

This team is full of talent and potential but seems to keep getting in its own way. With 14 games left on the schedule, Louisville can still make a case to earn a bid into the ACC Tournament, but the road isn't easy. Let's hope to see a strong finish.

THappy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared