Cards Get Double-Header Run Rules -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Sweeps Friday Against Pitt

Happy Thunder Day! The weather is looking less than stellar today, but the rain should stop before we move into the evening. It'll be soggy, but at least the fireworks show should go off this year. Yesterday's practice might have been your better opportunity for a good airshow experience though. The Louisville Bats announced they were moving today's first pitch from 2:05 to 1:05 because of the weather, but I'm not sure that will help them. Louisville softball pulled a lever the Bats didn't really have available, as they moved their Saturday game to a Friday double-header. 

With the revised schedule, the Cards promptly thumped the Pittsburgh Panthers in a pair of games that finished with a combined score of 19-3 and took just ten innings. Louisville was clicking on offense, and Pitt had no real answers for Alyssa Zabala or Brooke Gray in the circle. Louisville extended their current winning streak to five games and secured their fourth straight series, taking them to 4-1 in ACC series. Their lone ACC series loss came on the road at Clemson in mid-March. 

Zabala took the circle to open the first game and sat the Panthers down in order. That would be indicative of how she'd treat them for the remainder of her outing, as she went four full innings and gave up three hits and one walk while striking out four. She threw just 64 pitches, averaging four per batter faced. Jayden Gohs was handed the ball for the fifth inning, although Louisville wasn't quite in run-rule territory yet, as it was just 6-0. The defense gave up a runner on an error and she advanced to second. A single put runners on the corners, and then Pitt executed a rare softball double steal. Gohs was credited with allowing an unearned run, but she got out of the inning with the score 6-1. 

Louisville's offense got things going early and kept the pedal down. The Cards scored three in the bottom of the first, took a break in the second, then scored one, two, and three runs in consecutive innings to close out the game. Louisville hit three triples (Easton Lotus, Bri Despines, and Madison Pickens) and three doubles (Taylor Monroe (2) and Pickens) as part of a 12-hit parade. They also drew five walks. Louisville was also fairly efficient, leaving just six players on base total. Despines led the way with four RBI on two hits and a walk, but she was followed closely by Pickens who had three RBI and led the team with four hits. Lotus had two RBI on two hits and a walk. 

The second game got off to a better start for Pittsburgh, with the Panthers executing some small ball (and utilizing some luck) to get a couple on Gray early. A leadoff single was followed by a sacrifice bunt attempt that turned into an error leading to runners on second and third with no outs. A squeeze bunt scored a run and became a hit, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead and a steal put runners back on second and third with still nobody out. A sacrifice fly scored another run before Gray struck out the next two batters. Gray would go on to allow no more runs in her four innings pitched, and she gave up just one more hit. She struggled a bit with the zone, walking four, but the result was still no additional runs. Madi Reeves entered in the fifth, but she was pulled after a pair of walks and no outs. Anna Wise came in and struck out the side.  

Offensively, Louisville answered the early runs by Pitt with four scored in the bottom of the first. Chelsea Mack walked to open the game, but she was out on an Easton Lotus grounder. Instead of a double-play, though, the throw to first was errant and Lotus ended up on second anyway. It wouldn't have mattered much where she was, because Bri Despines tripled again to get the Cards on the board. Camryn Lookadoo was hit by a pitch, and Madison Pickens followed with a single through the right side to score Despines. A throwing error by the right fielder scored Lookadoo as well, and Pickens advanced all the way to third. Jordan Williams singled her home and stole second before a pop-out and a flyout ended the inning. 

Louisville took a break in the second again, but they scored four more in the third inning. Another zero in the fourth meant Pitt was still alive when the Cards made a pitching change in the fifth. Fortunately, as I noted, Wise was able to keep the Panthers off the board. Pickens opened the bottom of the fifth with a homer. Williams walked and Monroe singled to right field, where another E9 put runners on second and third. After a strikeout, Riley Janda picked up what was technically Louisville's third straight walk-off win with a single.

Louisville's offense was effective in the second game, but they were definitely the beneficiaries of some key Pitt errors. Nevertheless, the Cards still had ten hits and three walks along with the HBP. They left just two on base. The extra base hits were down, with the one homer from Pickens, the one triple from Despines, and a pair of doubles (Pickens and Ava Venturelli). Pickens was 3-3 at the plate, knocking in four RBI and scoring every time she reached base. Outside of Pickens, the offense was much more spread out, which was good to see after the top-heavy batting in the first game. 

Louisville and Pitt will have the day off due to the forecasted rain, and they'll close the series tomorrow. First pitch on Sunday will be at 4PM and the game will air on ACC Network. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

LOUSIVILLE SOFTBALL TOPS IU 8-7 IN 10 INNING THRILLER -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 LOTUS WALK OFF SINGLE SETTLES IT IN ULMER

Easton Lotus has had some pretty key and clutch hits in her time as a UofL softball player...but maybe none as big as the two-RBI single early this morning in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Cards a 8-7 win over IU in Ulmer Stadium.Yes, I said this morning. The game, which didn't start until after 8 p.m. Wednesday night, ended shortly after midnight Thursday morning. 

Her big blow came in a three-run bottom of the tenth inning for Louisville. The Cards, trailing 7-5  got a run when Taylor Monroe singled up the middle to drive home Madison Pickens, who scored from second...getting there because of the International rule where the batting team gets a runner on second at the start of the inning when a game goes to extra innings.  Taylor Monroe went to second when Riley Janda got a base on balls and Lotus sent a screamer down the third base line to score both runners and end the marathon.

It was a back and forth contest scoring wise between the rivals. IU led 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when the Cards got a run. UofL jumped ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, IU tied it in the top of the seventh, and both teams scored twice in the ninth. 

Madi Reeves got the win in relief to go to 3-0 on the season. The win improves UofL record to 35-9 on the season. The Cards collected 11 hits in the victory and drew six walks...the Cards get their first win over IU since 2022. 

paulie

Softball Evens Series -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Win 6-3 Over Cal

Louisville softball saw their long win streak end Thursday at Cal, but the Cards won yesterday evening (afternoon, depending on which timezone you use) to even the series at one game apiece. Louisville struck first, but they didn't hold the lead throughout. Ultimately, the Cards were able to put up more runs than Cal could answer with, though, and they held on to win to move to 31-8 (7-4). 

Louisville put the first two runners on base with Chelsea Mack and Easton Lotus, and Bri Despines made it count early. A single scored Mack, and a Camryn Lookadoo sacrifice bunt moved the runners up one 60 more feet. A sac fly scored Lotus, and Louisville led 2-0 before the inning ended. Brooke Gray got the start and was rewarded with a bunt pop-out on her first pitch. She walked the second batter but the defense helped her out with a double-play to end the inning. 

The Cards were unable to add to their lead in the second, and the middle of the Cal order jumped on Gray to open the bottom half. She gave up back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game at two before setting the next three batters down in order. The top of the third once more saw Louisville put a speedster on base to open the inning and a steal to threaten immediately. Despines grounded out but advanced Lotus to third, which turned out to be irrelevant when Lookadoo hit a ground-rule double to score the run. The Cards couldn't bring Lookadoo home, but Louisville had regained the lead 3-2. 

Gray settled back in and put up a three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the third. The Cards added to their lead in the fourth on four hits, including a two-RBI triple from Chelsea Mack. Mack was brought home by Lotus for the third run of the inning, and Louisville led 6-2. Gray would continue to pitch well, giving up just two more hits and two more walks over the next three scoreless innings. Louisville was unable to add any other runs, and Coach Holly Aprile made a quick decision to relieve Gray when she gave up a leadoff single to open the seventh. 

Alyssa Zabala came in to close out the game, but not without a little drama. After a foul out, Zabala gave up a single to right center that allowed the leadoff runner to get all the way to third. A productive ground out advanced both runners, scoring one, but Zabala finished the Bears off with another ground out. Gray took the earned run, but she also finished with the win, moving her to 9-1 on the season. Louisville finished with the 6-3 victory. 

The Cards and Bears will close out the series today at 3PM to give Louisville time to return home for the holiday before they head back out next weekend. Today's series finale will be on ACC Network Extra.

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Streak Continues -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Beat GT in Game 1

Louisville softball extended their season-high winning streak to eight games yesterday with a victory over Georgia Tech in the first game of their weekend series. The streak began with a win in the final game of the Clemson series, and last night's win over GT is Louisville's first ACC game since that Clemson win. The victory moved the Cards to 4-3 in conference, so a series win would keep Louisville over .500. A sweep would be even better. 

Alyssa Zabala started the game for the Cards and pitched well to open. Louisville supported her by taking the lead in the second on a Jordan Williams triple and extended that lead in the third with hits from Easton Lotus and Camryn Lookadoo. Lotus, by the way, has moved to the second spot in the lineup. That allows Louisville to take more advantage of Chelsea Mack's speed in the leadoff with Lotus's consistency helping bring her home. Zabala gave up a home run in the top of the fourth, but the Cards still held a 3-1 advantage after being unable to score in the bottom half. 

Zabala opened the fifth inning with a ground out, but then struggled to find the strike zone. She walked the next two batters on full counts, and a single loaded the bases. Anna Wise came in to replace her and things got weird. An infield single scored one run, and everyone advanced an extra base (including another run) on what was scored a fielding error by Bri Despines. A ground out scored a third run and Louisville's lead was gone. Another grounder was scored a fielding error by Lookadoo at first base and another unearned run scored. A fly out mercifully ended the inning, but Louisville's 3-1 lead had turned into a 5-3 deficit. 

Never fear, though, fans: Louisville responded. Riley Janda opened the inning with a walk, and Mack laid down a bunt single before Lotus was hit by a pitch to load the bases. GT made a pitching change, and Bri Despines welcomed the new pitcher by coaxing a four-pitch walk. Lookadoo also walked and the game was tied. A strikeout and a flyout that was too shallow to sacrifice made it look as though Louisville would strand the bases loaded, but Williams came up with her second triple of the game to clear the bases. A grounder ended the inning, but Louisville led 8-5. 

GT put two runners on in the sixth and one in the seventh, but Wise was able to keep any others from crossing the plate so 8-5 was the final score. Louisville and GT will continue the series today in chilly Louisville, with first pitch scheduled for 1PM. Today's game will stream on ACC Network Extra.

Floyd Signs with Racing

A second member of Karen Ferguson-Dayes's final senior class has signed an NWSL contract. After wearing purple for many matches in her University of Louisville career, goalkeeper Erynn Floyd will stick with the color and the city as she signed her first professional contract with Racing Louisville FC. The deal is for the remainder of the 2026 season (which just started) and carries a mutual option for 2027. I'm a bit surprised that Louisville didn't offer a longer deal, or that Floyd didn't sign such a deal elsewhere, but she'll be able to learn a ton behind Jordyn Bloomer, who stands out as one of the top keepers in the league. 

It's a bit of a crowded keeper room in Louisville, with Floyd becoming the fifth on the roster. In addition to Bloomer, she joins Olivia Sekany (Washington 2020), Cristina Roque (FSU 2024), and Maddie Prohaska (Auburn 2025). With a lot of youth (even Bloomer is only 28), there is still a lot of opportunity to find a full-time spot on the roster. This is a great opportunity for Erynn and we wish her the best in the beginning of her career. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Goes 3-1 on Weekend; Faces Evansville Tonight -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Score 34 in Shortened Cardinal Classic

Louisville softball was busy over the weekend, but we had our hands full with WBB in the ACC Tournament. The Cards hosted the Cardinal Classic in their final home non-conference weekend of the season. Louisville will participate in one more non-conference weekend event in a couple of weeks when they play in The Ohio State Tournament. Holly Aprile's squad was scheduled to play five games over the weekend, but a rainout on Friday meant that the game against LIU got the axe.

The Cards still opened the event on Friday, playing the first of a pair of games against Ball State. In Cardinals vs Cardinals action, Louisville ultimately fell 5-7 in the opener, creating an inauspicious start to their home event. Ball State tagged Alyssa Zabala for four runs in the top of the first before she was pulled after just two-thirds of an inning. Louisville was unable to tie the game, so Zabala officially took the loss, marking her first of the season. The Cards made a late rally in the sixth, scoring three runs in the bottom half to make it close, but their charge stopped there. 

The two teams played a rematch to open Saturday morning's events with a 9am start. Ball State scored first again, but this time Jayden Gohs held them to just one run in the opening frame, and Louisville scored a pair in the bottom half to gain the lead. Ball State wouldn't score again and Louisville went on to score in each of the five innings played. Gohs pitched all five and Louisville won in an 8-1 run rule. 

After opening the day at 9am Saturday, Louisville also closed it with a first pitch at 7pm. This time, they were taking on Illinois, and the Cards scored eight runs for the second time that day. Zabala got the start against the Illini and struggled in the first again. She gave up three runs before Louisville was able to stop the bleeding. This time, though, Zabala recovered, and twirled four scoreless before Illinois scored again. The Cards struggled to score for the first three innings, but they exploded for six in the fourth and tagged on two more in the fifth. Zabala allowed a run in the sixth to make it 8-4 in favor of Louisville, and Aprile gave her an opportunity to close the game out in the seventh. After Zabala gave up a single to open the inning, she got the hook and Anna Wise came in to clean up. A strikeout preceded a steal and a liner to third made gave Louisville two outs and a runner on second. A homer to deep left made it 8-6 and things got a bit nervier. Wise stayed cool and induced a ground ball to end the game. 

Louisville closed the weekend with another game against Illinois. This time, Madi Reeves got the start. Brooke Gray was conspicuously absent from the circle over the weekend, but she's been struggling of late. We may see her tonight against Evansville. Reeves pitched a solid first two innings but gave up three runs in the third. After a scoreless first two innings, matching Illinois, Louisville responded to their third inning outburst with one of their own. The Cards scored four in the third, marking their first of three innings with four runs. Louisville put up four more in the fourth and one in the fifth to set up a run-rule with a 9-3 lead. Illinois scored a pair in the sixth to stay alive, but the Cards added their final four runs in the bottom half to end the game. Gohs was the winner after coming on in relief in the fourth. 

Offensively, 34 runs over four games is quite good. Defensively, giving up 19 in four games is less good. At the end of the day, though, they went 3-1, so it's hard to complain too much. Taylor Monroe got off to a good start going 3-3 with three RBI in the first game against Ball State but didn't play for the rest of the weekend. Addy O'Dell replaced Monroe at short and had a strong three games. Her best came in the Sunday game against Illinois, where she went 2-3, scored three runs, and had an RBI on her first collegiate home run. In that game, she had one of Louisville's six doubles. The big bats came against Ball State Saturday morning, when Louisville hit three home runs (Camryn Lookadoo, Madison Pickens, and Katie Thatcher). Lookadoo led the team with eight RBI on the weekend and tied with Easton Lotus and Chelsea Mack for the team lead in hits (7). 

The Cards will face Evansville this evening with first pitch scheduled for 6pm. Evansville is off to a tough start this season, as they're just 7-12. The two teams don't have a common opponent, as the Purple Aces' scheduled game against Ball State on 2/15 was canceled. The Aces are coming off their conference opening weekend, where they lost an extremely close series against Illinois State at home. The series was determined by just one total run with final scores of 2-3, 5-6 (9 innings), and 8-7. Louisville's 3-1 weekend brought their season record to 18-5. If they aren't receiving votes in this week's poll, a win tonight and a series win on the road against current #25 Clemson could get them there. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Late Rally Boosts SB Cards -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Beats #13 Stanford 8-3

The Louisville softball team opened their long homestand and ACC season with a resounding win last night. The Cards brought in the Cardinal from Stanford and treated the #13/16 team to an 8-3 defeat in just Louisville's second game at Ulmer this season. Louisville is facing Stanford in their first ACC series of the year, but it's a bit out of sequence, as the Cards will host a pair of midweek games sandwiching the Cardinal Classic before their next ACC series comes on the road starting on March 13th. 

Alyssa Zabala took the start for Louisville yesterday evening and got off to a bit of an unfortunate start. Zabala put herself squarely in the crosshairs for an earned run by hitting the first batter (who had already fouled off three 2-strike pitches) and then allowing a steal. A productive groundout put the runner on third and a single made the score 1-0. Another single put two on before a flyout gave the Cards two outs. Zabala intentionally walked the bases loaded to get a force out at any base, which turned out to be unnecessary since the next batter grounded out to first. Louisville escaped with just a 1-0 deficit, but they responded with a 1-2-3 bottom half. 

Zabala still didn't have the strikeout pitch working in the second inning, but she was much more efficient in her return to the circle. Despite a long full-count at-bat (which went 10 pitches) that ultimately resulted in a flyout, Zabala was able to go 1-2-3 in the second and used just 17 pitches. The Cards tried to get the small ball going in the second inning after Bri Despines took an HBP on the first pitch of the at-bat. Camryn Lookadoo bunted her to second, but a pair of groundouts ended the inning. Zabala looked like she might be in a groove in the third, but she still wasn't able to miss bats. Three pitches saw two outs, but she opened the third batter in the inning with three straight balls. Needing to bring the ball back into the strike zone came back to haunt her, as the 3-1 pitch was smoked to straightaway center to put Stanford up 2-0. A flyout ended the inning. 

Louisville once again got their leadoff hitter on when Ava Venturelli walked, and the speedster freshman Addy O'Dell replaced her on the base paths. O'Dell advanced to second with one out when Easton Lotus reached on a fielding error. Both moved up on a Chelsea Mack ground out, but a strikeout kept the score at 2-0. The top of the fourth saw Zabala yield to Anna Wise in the circle, and Wise got to work quickly, with a strikeout and a groundout. An error and a wild pitch put another runner in scoring position, but Wise picked up another K to end the threat and keep Louisville in striking distance. For the third straight inning, Louisville got their leadoff batter on base, this time on a single by Despines, but for the third straight inning they stranded runners in scoring position. The threats continued to grow, though, as Louisville had the bases loaded with one out before a strikeout and a groundout squashed the chance. 

Wise continued to be effective in the fifth, pitching around a one-out walk. A single put runners on first and second with two outs, but Wise cleaned it up with another groundout. Then came the Cards. Again, they put the leadoff runner on base, and this time it was with the top of the lineup at the plate. Lotus singled and Mack sacrifice bunted her to second. It looked like the threat might come to nothing again when Madison Pickens struck out, but Despines homered to right to tie the game at two. Louisville wasn't quite done, though as Lookadoo walked to follow. A four-pitch walk to Taylor Monroe gave Louisville two-on with two-out and Stanford went to the bullpen. The new pitcher advanced the runners with a wild pitch, but it didn't matter anyway as Riley Janda worked a full-count walk. Venturelli singled straight back to the pitcher on her first pitch and scored a pair of runs before a flyout ended the inning. Louisville flipped a two-run deficit to two-run lead at 4-2. 

Stanford got a runner on in the top of the sixth via walk, but it was no issue for Wise, who followed it with two groundouts to end the inning. The big inning in the fifth meant Louisville opened the sixth with Lotus again, and she made it five straight innings with the leadoff runner on base. This time she walked, though it looked like she'd be stranded early by a strikeout and fly out. Despines had the bat working, though, as she singled to keep the inning alive. Lookadoo brought the big bat this time, knocking a three-run homer to left. Again, a walk followed the home run and a single followed the walk. Venturelli picked up another RBI by singling, but Louisville couldn't take advantage of a wild pitch putting runners on second and third. Nevertheless, the Cards led 8-2 with Stanford down to their final three outs. 

The nice thing about a six-run lead is that you've got a lot of cushion. Louisville didn't need it, but when the Cardinal opened the top of the seventh with a home run, the Cards still had a five-run lead and still had little stress. Even a grand slam keeps you ahead. Wise shook off the home run with a first pitch groundout straight back to the circle, though she wasn't able to duplicate that on an infield single on the next at-bat. Louisville ended the threat and the game with a nice defensive play, turning a 5-4-3 double-play, which is quite difficult to do in softball, and the celebration began. 

While small-ball might be Louisville's primary form of attack this season, it was nice to see that they have some pop as well. A pair of home runs, both scoring multiple runs, would have actually been enough to still win this game. Louisville got down early, but they didn't let the ranking and the situation overwhelm them. The Cards stayed focused and kept themselves threatening, and eventually it paid off. Louisville will try to take the series in game two today at 1PM. While the finale tomorrow will be on ACC Network, today's game will be streaming only on ACCNX. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Cards Win Two in Ft. Myers -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Beats Buffalo and FGCU

Louisville has finally broken their streak of losing games to hosting teams after beating FGCU 3-2 in the later game yesterday. The Cards had three losses entering the weekend, with all three coming against the team playing host to these early season multi-team events. Louisville now comes into the second day of the Gulf Coast Classic with a 9-3 record overall. 

The Cards got to face Buffalo in the opener yesterday, and junior transfer Madi Reeves got the start. Reeves was good early, putting the Bulls down 1-2-3 in the first inning and working out of a jam in the second. An error put a runner on second to open the inning and a single saw runners on the corners with no outs. Reeves got a three-pitch strikeout and then the Louisville defense played a sacrifice bunt attempt extremely well to get the out at home. A ground out ended the inning. After stranding a runner in the first, Louisville managed to scratch a run across in the second and led 1-0. 

The Cards extended their lead to 2-0 in the top of the third by taking advantage of their speed at the top of the order. Back-to-back singles by Easton Lotus and Chelsea Mack put the pressure on to open the inning and, although the Buffalo pitcher worked around the threat for the most part, Lotus was able to get home. Then the wheels fell off for Louisville. Five straight singles opened the bottom of the third for Buffalo, with the fourth scouring two runs and the fifth reloading the bases with nobody out. Anna Wise came in to replace Reeves, and Louisville's defense rewarded her with back-to-back errors scoring three more runs. Another single scored Buffalo's sixth run of the inning, but a greedy attempt to pick up another run was thrown out at home. Wise finally managed to prevent the Bulls from hitting the ball with a strikeout for the second out and a groundout ended the inning. The Cards trailed 6-2. 

Fortunately for Louisville, Buffalo isn't actually very good this season, at least according to their record. The Bulls entered the game with a 3-8 record, and Louisville's offense finally took advantage. The Cards scored three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to retake the lead. They took two more in the sixth to push their advantage to four runs, and the defense and pitching managed to shape up to prevent Buffalo from scoring any more runs. In fact, the Bulls only picked up two more hits on Anna Wise, and Alyssa Zabala replaced her in the sixth and allowed just two walks over two innings while striking out three. 

Offensively, Louisville was led by Taylor Monroe, who went 3-3 and had four RBI. That was good, since Monroe was the offender on both of Louisville's third-inning errors. Bri Despines added two RBI, and Chelsea Mack and Madison Pickens joined Monroe with three hits apiece. Riley Janda scored three runs despite going 1-4 at the plate, and she had one of Louisville's four steals (Mack had the other three). Easton Lotus went 2-4 at the top of the order and also drew a walk, allowing her to score two runs. 

In the second game, offense took a back seat to pitching. Already warm from two innings in the first game, Alyssa Zabala took the circle in the second and nearly pitched a complete game. She didn't have the strikeout ball working as well in the second game, picking up just two, but FGCU wasn't getting much from putting the ball in play. Zabala went 6.2 innings and gave up just three hits and one walk. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a home run, and it came after one of the others in the fifth inning. That two-run homer tied the game, but Coach Holly Aprile left Zabala in and Alyssa rewarded her with strong pitching after. 

After picking up RBI singles in the third and fourth innings, it was small ball again for Louisville in the seventh that let them regain the lead. Jordan Williams opened the inning with a single and Lotus followed with one as well. Mack laid down a bunt to move both runners into scoring position, and Camryn Lookadoo sent a fly ball into center to bring Williams home on a sacrifice. Zabala got a ground out and a line out to open the bottom half, but she walked the potential last out of the game on a full-count. That brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of a batter who had already taken Zabala yard in the game. Aprile made the move to replace Zabala with Wise and Anna induced a ground ball back to the circle to end the game. 

Louisville moved to 9-3 with their two wins yesterday, and they'll play two more today. The Cards will face Wisconsin at 12:15 and UConn at the conclusion of that game (scheduled for 2:30). We'll see if Brooke Gray takes the circle today after having yesterday off. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Softball Splits Friday Again -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Beat BU, Fall to SCar

In their second weekend of the season, Louisville softball once again saw themselves taking on the hosting team in the second game of the first day. The Cards faced Boston University and took a 3-0 win in the first game but things got squirrelly in the second. Louisville held close to South Carolina early in the game before an explosive fifth inning ended the game early with a 9-1 run rule. 

Alyssa Zabala took the win in game one, as the Cards gave her a cushion in the top of the first inning. Chelsea Mack singled out of the second spot in the lineup and immediately stole second. Making the most of her cleanup spot, Bri Despines batted a single into the outfield to score Mack and give Louisville the 1-0 lead. From there, Zabala took the reins and didn't let go. She pitched a complete game and scattered four hits across them. Zabala struck out six and walked just one batter. Of their five baserunners, the Terriers put two on in two innings, meaning Zabala was more or less nails in the other five. 

Despines earned her second RBI in the sixth inning with a double to score Madison Pickens, who had reached on an error. The Cards opened the seventh inning with an out, but Jordan Williams tripled with one out. That turned over the order, and Easton Lotus laid down a single toward third. It was fielded by the catcher, holding Williams at third, but Lotus beat out the throw for a single. As Mack worked her at-bat, the Terriers tried to pick off Lotus on a steal attempt, which was a bold choice with a runner at third, and it went exactly as you might expect: Lotus got the steal anyway, and Williams took the opportunity to come home. That set the final score of 3-0. 

The Cards opened the second game similarly, with Lotus reaching base to open the game, Mack walking, and Despines doubling Lotus in for a Louisville lead. Brooke Gray took the circle for Louisville and got off to a good start by getting two quick outs, but a four-pitch walk was followed by a double and the score was tied. Gray ended the inning and the teams went on tied. 

Louisville threatened briefly in the third with a Lotus double and a two-out walk from Pickens, but Despines couldn't regain the lead for the Cards. In the bottom half, Gray got a quick pop-out but back-to-back first-pitch singles chased her from the circle. Anna Wise entered for Louisville and managed to end the threat. Gray finished with three hits and one walk in 2.1 innings. She had just one earned run but she didn't pick up any strikeouts. 

Louisville once again got a double and a walk in the fourth but were once again unable to take the lead in the game. Wise returned to the circle and gave up a leadoff single. She got the first out on an infield ground ball, but the runner advanced to second. A walk put runners on first and second, and an unsuccessful fielder's choice loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice bunt scored the go ahead run, and another single made it 3-1. Finally, South Carolina grounded straight to Lotus at second base and the inning ended. 

Louisville responded with three-up, three-down, which set the stage for an unfortunate fifth inning. Things went immediately wrong after a full-count walk and a single that was challenged and failed. The Cards made a pitching change and gave up a double steal. A sacrifice liner to left was followed by a two-run homer. Louisville went on to see an illegal pitch and, though they picked up a second out, South Carolina went on to end the game with the bases still loaded. 

The Cards returned to the field at 10am this morning against Kennesaw State, and they'll face BU again this afternoon before returning home. Tomorrow's game against Kennesaw State has already been canceled. Louisville will face Bellarmine on Tuesday and then hit the road for the Gulf Coast Classic next weekend. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softballers on Academic All-District Team -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Five Cards Recognized by CSC

The College Sport Communicators (CSC) identified their Academic All-District teams this week, and Louisville softball placed five Cardinals on the Division I list. CSC honors baseball and softball across four divisions of collegiate athletics. The district-level is the only subset prior to the CSC Academic All-American honor, which is voted on via national ballot of specific players from the district list. 

Louisville's five honorees were Bri Despines (JR), Maddi Grant (SR), Char Lorenz (R-FR), Easton Lotus (R-JR), and Alyssa Zabala (JR). The award is the first for Grant, Despines, and Lorenz, and the second for Lotus and Zabala. This marks Zabala's second straight CSC All-District award, as Louisville's ace was honored for her 10 wins with a 4.00 ERA over 140 innings pitched this season. 

In her first year with the team, Despines hit .318 with 37 runs, 47 hits, and 37 RBI. Defensively, she led the team in putouts (narrowly edging Grant (1B) 226-221) and had 12 assists with only five errors. She allowed just four passed balls and caught four runners stealing. Grant, as mentioned, was steller at first, tying with Taylor Monroe for the team lead in double-plays turned (9) and tallying just three errors on her way to a .987 fielding percentage. With 233 fielding opportunities, that percentage is stellar, and it led the team among players with at least 50 chances. Grant also hit above her career average with a .236 clip in 106 at bats (the most of her career by a long shot). She tallied 25 hits, 10 runs, and 13 RBI with two homers. 

Easton Lotus returned from injury with a strong season. Louisville's primary leadoff hitter tailed off a bit down the stretch, but still finished second on the team with a career high .357 batting average. She had 65 hits and 16 walks, which contributed to her 38 runs scored. Her five triples were tied for the team lead, as were her 18 stolen bases. As the leadoff, she didn't get a ton of opportunities, but she still managed to knock in 26 RBI. 

You'll notice that a lot of the stats so far have been "tied for" or "second on the team". That's because Char Lorenz was that good. How she was only second-team All-ACC is beyond me, but I guess it speaks to the quality of the players in the league. Lorenz led the team in average (.368), OPS (1.130), doubles (11), triples (tied; 5), home runs (9), and RBI (53). She walked 17 times and was hit by eight pitches. She also stole 13 bases. Defensively, she was no slouch in left field, fielding .967 with 87 putouts, two assists, and just three errors. Lorenz is the only one of the five Cards on the All-District list to be tabbed for the national ballot, so we'll keep an eye on her potential ascension to the All-American ranks. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

PS: To give everyone an early heads up, the CCRHP hiatus will continue this week. We intended to return on Saturday, but host outages mean we'll have to skip another episode. 

Softball Hosts Western Kentucky -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Hosts Western Kentucky

Following a seven-game road trip, Louisville softball returns home to Ulmer Stadium for a four-game stretch. First on the docket is a rematch with Western Kentucky. The Cards beat the Hilltoppers 3-2 earlier this season in Bowling Green.

WKU is 24-19 on the season including 10-10 in Conference USA. Most recently, the Toppers swept New Mexico State at home but was run-ruled by Kentucky before that.

Only two Western Kentucky players are currently hitting over .300- Maci Masters with a .320 batting average across 125 at bats and Jenna Blanton with a .545 batting average across 44 at bats. They hit .270 as a team with 204 runs scored. Roughly 10% of their total hits are home runs.

From a pitching standpoint, four Toppers have stepped foot in the circle. They have a combined 3.47 ERA this season, giving up 282 hits and 165 runs. They have struck out 196 batters compared to 149 walks.

For Louisville, where the Cards have lacked in power hitting, they have made up for in speed and aggressive base running. The lead the ACC with 89 stolen bases, 2.07 steals per game, and 23 triples. Chelsea Mack and Easton Lotus lead the conference with 18 steals apiece. The 23 triples is also good for third-best in the country. They rank in the top 15 in stolen bases per game.

Louisville is 4-1 against in-state opponents this season and look to improve on that mark tonight. First pitch is set for 6:00 pm and will be aired on ACCNX.

(Photos by Jared)

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Falls in Game 1 vs Duke -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Comeback Comes Up Short

Louisville softball fell behind early in the opening game of their series against Duke yesterday, but they made a hard push to come back at the Blue Devils. Unfortunately, the hole was just a bit too deep for them to recover, and the teams will continue the weekend with Duke taking the 1-0 series lead after a 7-5 victory. 

Brooke Gray got the start for the Cards and the Blue Devils welcomed her into the game rather rudely. The leadoff batter laid down a bunt single and advanced to second on a first pitch single into right by the #2 hitter. A foul out gave Gray a chance to recover, but a walk loaded the bases with one out. In the heart of the order, Duke knocked a single into left, scoring two, and the batter advanced to second on what was considered an error by the left fielder. I assume this was a throwing error, but it isn't listed so.... who knows? Another single scored the two remaining baserunners, one being unearned, before a pair of fly outs ended the top half of the first. Louisville trailed 4-0.

To their credit, the Cards tried to respond immediately. Easton Lotus had an unfortunate foul out before Chelsea Mack was, shockingly, thrown out at first on a bunt single attempt. I guess teams are starting to look for that. Char Lorenz singled, and Bri Despines reached on an infield error. Taylor Monroe was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but a strikeout ended the rally. 

Gray settled in a bit in the second by taking care of a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. Unfortunately, Louisville responded with a 1-2-3 inning of their own. They were able to put the bat on the ball, but that doesn't offer much consolation. Gray returned in the third and went walk, flyout, steal, single before her day was ended. Sam Booe came on in a tough spot with runners on the corners and one out, but stepped up herself to help Gray's ERA a bit. After a steal put runners on second and third, a squeeze bunt attempt popped up and Booe flashed the leather to catch it herself. She then put together a seven-pitch strikeout to end the inning.

The bottom of the third was remarkably similar to the bottom of the first, with Lotus and Mack getting out, Lorenz singling, and Monroe taking an HBP to load the bases. The only difference was that Despines walked instead of reaching on an error. Katie Thatcher came in to pinch hit, but Louisville left the bases loaded for the second time in three innings. They still trailed 4-0.

For the good ending to the third she had, Booe's start to the fourth was similarly less than ideal. A pair of singles were followed by a fielder's choice to get the lead runner at third, but a walk loaded the bases anyway. A Duke single scored two and Lindsey Mullen came on in relief. Mullen was able to limit the damage with a strikeout and a fly out, but the lead had grown to 6-0. 

Louisville's offense finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth. After a groundout, Maddi Grant doubled to center and Riley Janda came on to pinch run. Ally Alexander hit a grounder straight to short, which is not really what you want with a runner on second, but the traffic on the base paths meant everyone ended up safe. With runners on the corners, Duke shifted into a five infielder set up, which Easton Lotus punished with a two-run triple to left. A groundout meant the Cards were down to their final out, but Lorenz stepped up with her third straight single to score Lotus. Not to be outdone, Despines got tired of reaching only first while at the plate, so she smoked a two-run homer to right center. Monroe couldn't pick up her third HBP of the game, but Louisville left the fourth down just one run: 6-5.

Unfortunately, the Cards wouldn't score again. Perhaps if they had one more inning, they could have had a five-run eighth, but that's not the way it goes. In their remaining three trips to the plate, Louisville mustered just one walk and one single, not in the same inning. Duke was largely held in check, as well, until a solo home run in the top of the seventh. That set the final at 7-5. 

Both teams were able to find success on opposing pitchers, but Louisville would have hoped for a bit more consistency at the plate and a bit more stability from the bullpen. Mullen pitched the best of the Cardinal hurlers yesterday, finishing with just three hits, one run, and a strikeout in 3.2 innings. Booe, as I mentioned, started out well but ended up giving up three hits, two runs, and a walk with one strikeout in her one full inning. Gray got dinged around in the first, but was helped out immensely by Booe in the third. She finished with five hits, four runs (three earned), two walks, and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. 

Louisville's offense managed eight hits, two walks, and two HBP, and they scored all five of their runs on one pitcher. The Cards struck out four times, and although eight runners left on base doesn't seem like too terribly many, the fact that six of the eight were with the bases loaded is definitely painful. Char Lorenz continued to show why she's batting third, getting three hits in four at bats and Despines reached base three times as well. 

The Cards and Blue Devils will continue the series at 2PM today, with today's game airing on ACCN proper. Louisville will look to pick up a ranked win and fight for another series victory, while Duke tries to finish off the series and climb back to where they think they should be in the ACC standings. 

No CCRHP This Week

I know that last week I said we'd probably be back this week, but sometimes things go sideways. Our hosts are still a bit scattered, and some things have been abnormal, as you may have guessed from the column schedule. We appreciate your patience and continued support and we'll get the podcast back in your feeds as soon as we can. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Softball Drops Two to Virginia Tech -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Fight Back in Game Two, but Lose 10-0, 5-2

In anticipation of today's weather, Louisville and Virginia Tech agreed earlier this week to move the game scheduled for today to Friday for a double header. In the end, the two teams ended up playing fewer innings yesterday in two games than the Cards did Sunday against Notre Dame in one. Louisville was run-ruled in the first game before keeping the score close but just out of reach in the second. The two teams will play again tomorrow at noon in the series finale. 

Alyssa Zabala got the start in Game 1 against the VT ace, Sophie Kleiman. Kleiman ended up with a very nice day, which doesn't bode well for Cardinal hitters. She threw five full (a complete game) and gave up just two runs and three walks. She struck out two and had one wild pitch. One of Louisville's hits was a double (Taylor Monroe), but Kleiman threw just 71 pitches, meaning the Cards faced an average of 3.7 pitches. That's not going to put a pitcher under too much pressure. 

Zabala got out to a great start, striking out the first two batters she faced and getting a fly out for a one-two-three first inning. Unfortunately, the second inning went quite a bit worse. Zabala walked the first two batters and gave up a single to load the bases with nobody out. Here's where things got weird, and the big inning wasn't all on Alyssa. The next batter singled to center field, which would have scored one, maybe two no matter what. Chelsea Mack booted it in center, though, being charged with a fielding error and allowing a third run to score and the batter to make it all the way to third. Earned vs unearned runs are weird, and ultimately it probably wouldn't have mattered, but all three runs were charged to Zabala, despite the fact that one probably scored as a result of the error. Whatever. Louisville trailed 3-0. 

But wait, there still weren't any outs. Zabala rectified that with another pair of back-to-back strikeouts, and it looked like the Cards might escape a bad situation (bases loaded, nobody out) with less damage than previously anticipated. Not so lucky. Having struck out in her first at bat, the Hokies' leadoff batter stepped up and hit a first-pitch homer to score two runs and stretch the lead to 5-0. Zabala induced a ground out to end the inning, but her day was done. Final line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO. She threw an average of 4 pitches per batter faced. Tough days happen.

Louisville got their first baserunner on a Bri Despines walk, and a fielder's choice and wild pitch saw Taylor Monroe standing at second with one out. Nothing came of it, though, as a pair of infield ground balls ended the inning. Lindsey Mullen stepped into the circle for Zabala, but Virginia Tech wasn't done scoring yet. Mullen got two quick strikes on the first batter she faced, but plate discipline and quick hands saw the at bat extend to a full count after nine pitches (four fouls). On the tenth pitch, Mullen kept it in the zone, but her defense rewarded her with a throwing error that allowed the batter to reach. That proved costly when, after a fly out for the first out was followed by another two-run homer. A double put a runner in scoring position, and she advanced to third on a dropped third strike. Louisville got the out at first for the strikeout and then stranded the runner at third with a grounder. 

The Cards got another leadoff walk in the fourth, but it came to nothing, and Izzy Harrison replaced Mullen in the bottom half. Harrison's day was short-lived, as she threw nine pitches and saw runners standing on first and second after a pair of walks. Ryann Sanders came in to relieve her and got a ground out to short, but it was too slow to turn a double play, with both runners advancing. That set up a sac fly for VT and the second runner came home on a single before Sanders got a ground out to end the inning. 

Char Lorenz got Louisville's first hit in the bottom of the fourth, but she was erased immediately on a caught stealing attempt. Monroe had her double in the same inning, but no one was on base to take advantage, and a ground out ended the inning with no damage done by the Cards. VT hit their third homer of the day in the top of the fifth to make it 10-0 and set up Louisville's last stand. Ally Alexander coaxed a two-out walk, but the game ended on a fly out. Yuck. 

Sam Booe got the start in game two and Virginia Tech picked up where they left off. Booe was rocked immediately, giving up a lead-off home run, a single to follow, and a two-run homer to end her day. She threw 0+ IP, 16 pitches, and that was that. Brooke Gray came on in relief, and pitched the remainder of the game, finishing with a pretty strong showing. Gray ultimately threw 104 pitches and gave up 6 hits, 2 walks, 2 ER, and had 6 strikeouts. Gray gave up a walk to the first batter she faced, but she and Despines combined for a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double-play. A single preceded a double, but it was a hard liner into right so the run couldn't score. Gray got a strikeout to end the threat. 

Louisville's offense started much better than in game one, with Easton Lotus singling to lead off for the Cards. She, of course, stole second, but Chelsea Mack's bunt attempt was popped up to the catcher. Lotus advanced to third on a passed ball, but it didn't really matter since Char Lorenz sent a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence to score them both. Despines was hit by a bitch to keep the rally going, but the inning ended on a 4-6-3 double play. 

Gray got a quick 1-2-3 inning in the second to bring Louisville to the plate with a chance to tie or take the lead, but it proved to only be the start of a long scoreless run by both teams. The Cards and Hokies played the next five innings with no runs. Gray was nails in that time, giving up just a walk in the third and a pair of singles in the fifth, begging her offense to get one back to reset the game. Her opposite in the circle, Emma Lemley, was just as efficient, though. Louisville had a walk in the second and another in the fourth, but didn't have a real chance to score until the fifth. 

In the bottom of the fifth, still trailing 3-2, Maddi Grant opened with a ground out, but Jordan Williams followed with a single. Ally Alexander put a grounder in play, but it was right back to the pitcher, who turned and fired to second to get the lead runner. Needing a two-out rally, Easton Lotus choked up on the bat with two strikes and fired a single straight back up the gut. Alexander advanced from first to third on the hit, and Lotus followed her by stealing second. With the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position, Mack worked a full-count before striking out swinging. 

Gray had another 1-2-3 inning in the sixth, but Louisville's offensive magic had run out. Another two-out rally may have been on the books, but Monroe was called out for leaving first base early after walking to end the inning. VT broke their stupor against Gray the old fashioned way in the seventh, leading off with a bunt single. Gray responded with a strikeout, seeming to stay on track, but a homer to left (I wonder which way the wind was blowing yesterday.) made it 5-2. The Cards had no answer in the seventh so that was that. 

Virginia Tech is a very good team, and Louisville had a much better showing in the second game of yesterday's double header. After the rest day, the Cards are likely to see another outing from Kleiman or Lemley tomorrow, so the offense will need to find an answer. First pitch is at noon, and the game will be on ACC Network Extra.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll have three on this week's show, with Paulie, Daryl, and me holding down the fort. We'll have some exciting softball to chat about and some less exciting softball and lacrosse to cover. We'll also look ahead to Selection Monday for the NCAA tournament, so be prepared to get your brackets in for the NCAA Pick 'Em challenge. Going forward, we'll be without the live show, but we'll still have the podcast available in the normal places when the show posts around 1PM. 

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Spotify: Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Defeats Eastern Kentucky in Five -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Cruise Past Colonels

Louisville softball cruised to a Wednesday 10-2, five-inning victory in a midweek match-up against in-state foe Eastern Kentucky. The Cards walked it off in the bottom of the fifth inning, earning the run-rule win.

With the win, Louisville improves to 17-7 on the year. They are 7-2 at Ulmer Stadium.

After shutting down the Colonels in order to start the game, the Cards managed to get runners on first and second with two outs. A walk helped load the bases with Taylor Monroe stepping up to the plate. The freshman shortstop sent one over the left field wall into the tree for a grand slam. The home run is the first of her career.

The Cards threatened to score in the second but could not get a runner over the plate. They went down in order in the third inning, too

In the fourth, Maddi Grant beat out a wide throw to first base before being replaced by freshman Riley Janda on the base paths. Aggressive baserunning put Janda on third, and she scored on a bunt by Camryn Lookadoo. Ally Alexander followed by getting on base and a hit to the outfield by Easton Lotus plated both runners, giving the Cards a 7-0 advantage. 

Eastern Kentucky would not go down without a fight and pieced together a trio of hits to score both of their runs.

Monroe kicked off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double. Lookadoo pushed a hard grounder to the outfield and Monroe scored. Alexander followed with a hit, putting Lookadoo in scoring position. Easton Lotus sent Lookadoo home with a hit. She and Alexander found themselves in scoring position following a defensive error by the Colonels. Freshman Jordan Williams came in to pinch hit and capitalized on the opportunity. She sent the ball rolling to the wall in left center. While the game immediately ended when the Cards went up 10-2, Williams was in prime position to pull out a triple off the hit and would have had multiple RBIs.

Alyssa Zabala (7-2) got the start in the circle and would go the full game to earn the win. She struck out five while allowing six hits and one walk. It is her fourth five-strikeout performance this season.

The Cards continued their aggressive base running with four stolen bases and even managed to turn a walk into an immediate runner on second opportunity. Louisville earned six walks while striking out twice. Lotus, Monroe, and Alexander each recorded two hits.

There was a scary situation in the first inning when Chelsea Mack was hit by a pitch. The ball hit Mack in the area of the lower neck or upper chest area. She was down in the batters box for several minutes before getting up and walking to first. She remained in for the remainder of the game.

Jeff and Jared caught up with Zabala and Monroe following the game. You can check out the interview here.

Louisville stays at home and welcomes #16 Virginia Tech for a three-game series. The Hokies defeated Kentucky 2-0 last night in Lexington. Emma Lemley was one batter off from a perfect game, walking one batter. Due to weather in the forecast, the three-game series times may be shifted around.

(All photos today by Jared)

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Beats CMU; Big Game for WBB -- SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Hangs on to Beat CMU 13-9

After it looked like a run-rule was in order early in yesterday's game against Central Michigan, Louisville ultimately had to buckle down and defend a much closer than expected lead against the Chips. In the end, the Cards never trailed, and put the game away with a 3-run sixth to deflate CMU's comeback hopes. 

Lindsey Mullen got the start yesterday afternoon and put herself in a bit of a jam early. After a leadoff flyout, Mullen split a pair of singles with a strikeout. A steal put runners on second and third with two outs, but Lindsey was able to coax a full count infield pop-up to end the inning. Louisville's offense immediately went to work to protect her. Easton Lotus opened with a single, and Chelsea Mack followed with a bunt single, again proving why even a sacrifice bunt isn't safe for the defense against her. Bri Despines punished the Chips right away with a first pitch double to score Lotus. Char Lorenz then singled straight up the middle to score the pair, and moved to second as the defense tried to throw out Despines at home. A steal put Lorenz at third, and CMU finally got an out by striking out Madison Pickens. Taylor Monroe had an RBI single to score Lorenz but was thrown out trying to stretch for second. Katie Thatcher stepped in, determined she didn't need anyone on base to pick up an RBI, and dumped her first home run of the season over the fence in left-center. A flyout ended the inning and the Cards led 5-0.

Mullen flirted with danger again in the top of the second, as she and Pickens (starting at catcher) struggled to get on the same page. A leadoff single turned into a runner in scoring position on a passed ball. Another single put runners on the corners and another passed ball put two in scoring position. Mullen got the first out with a weak grounder straight back to the circle that held the runners. She then walked the younger Lotus sister to load the bases with one out. Mullen was able to dig deep and find the outs, though, putting up a pair of Ks to strand the bases loaded. 

Ally Alexander opened the bottom half with a single and moved to second on an error. She got a bit greedy, though, and the catcher got her revenge for the error, when Alexander was picked off by a throw behind. The pickoff was costly, as Lotus then doubled to left-center. A productive ground out from Mack moved Lots to third, and Despines singled her home. Another Char Lorenz single put two in scoring position as Lorenz advanced on the throw, and Pickens made up for her out in the first with a two-run double. Pickens, unfortunately, overran the bag at second expecting a throw home, but the cut off went to second instead and she was too late to retreat. Louisville added three to their lead and held an 8-0 advantage.

Lindsey Mullen's luck ran out in the third. Though she picked up her fourth strikeout of the game on the second batter of the inning, it followed a leadoff double. A bunt single put runners on the corners, and a one-out single scored a run and left two on. Izzy Harrison came on in relief, but her outing was short lived. After nine pitches walked the bases loaded and a run in, Ryann Sanders took the circle to face Emma Lotus. Lotus walked for the second time, this time intentionally after a wild pitch scored a run and opened a base. Sanders then got a pop out and a flyout to end the inning. As Mullen put all three runners that scored on base, she inherited the runs, giving her a final line of 2.1 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs (all earned), 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. It wasn't terrible given that we haven't seen much of her this season, but it does potentially speak to why the circle has largely been limited to Alyssa Zabala, Sam Booe, and Brooke Gray. 

As CMU's offense warmed up, Louisville's cooled off. The Cards saw a new pitcher in the third and went three up, three down on just seven pitches. Sanders came back out for the fourth and got a good start, picking up a pair of fly outs to open the inning. Back to back two-strike singles were followed by a full-count single to score a run, and Holly Aprile called on Sam Booe in relief. Booe gave up a single to allow a second run to come in, but picked up a ground out to end the inning. 

The Cards added two more in the bottom of the fourth, with the top of the order leading the way again. Lotus got her third hit in as many at-bats, and Mack had another bunt single to advance her. Despines moved both up with a ground out, and Lorenz matched Lotus's continuation of the perfect day by doubling in the pair. Pickens at bat is listed as "out at first 1b to 2b" so I have to assume it was a bunt attempt. Why they left off the "grounded out" part is unclear, but oh well. Louisville extended their lead back to 10-5. 

With Booe in the circle, Aprile shuffled the defensive lineup to get Despines behind the plate. Pickens was moved to right and Thatcher stepped off the field into the DP slot. The move didn't appear to help a ton, as Booe gave up a pair of singles to open the inning anyway. She settled in, though, as the Cards used three straight ground balls to end the inning, never throwing it to first (FC to third, FC to second, FC at second unassisted). The offense faced another three up, three down in the bottom half. 

Sam Booe became the next victim of CMU's resilient offense. A leadoff single was followed by a full-count walk and a four-pitch walk, and Aprile pulled the plug again. In a five-run game with the bases loaded and nobody out, Aprile turned to Brooke Gray as her fifth pitcher of the day. It looked like a great decision, as Gray struck out the first two batters she faced to quickly flip the script of the inning for CMU. Unfortunately, it took one swing of the bat to flip it right back. On the eighth pitch of a full-count at-bat, Carly Sleeman sent one over the fence in left-center for a grand slam. Another full count drew a walk, but Gray got the flyout to end the inning. Booe was credited with three of the runs, and Louisville's lead was just 10-9. 

The Cards responded one more time, with Alexander opening the inning with a double. Lotus followed with a ground ball to third that was ruled a single and an error, as the throw missed the mark but was late anyway. Alexander scored and Lotus moved to second. Mack singled up the middle and moved to second on the throw home, where Easton was beaten to the plate by the throw from her sister Emma in center field. Despines tripled to score Mack, and Lorenz's perfect day ended on a pop up. Pickens singled to score Despines, and Ava Venturelli had a pinch-hit double. Pickens held at third, though, and a foul out ended the inning with no more runs. Louisville pushed the lead back to 13-9, which is where it stayed. Gray pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning and the Cards celebrated the victory. 

Louisville's top of the order showed why the offense can be so dangerous today. The first four hitters in the lineup all hit at least .750, with Lotus going a perfect 4-4. Among their 13 (!) hits, those four accounted for 18 total bases. They scored 11 of Louisville's runs and had eight of the RBIs. Preeeeeetty good. They also didn't leave any runners on base. Louisville, as a team, finished with 20 hits for 31 total bases and only left three runners on base. The Cards saw the ball well, striking out just once as a team and drawing no walks. That's right. They had 20 hits on 34 at bats and had just one strikeout. They didn't reach base via walk or error, as both CMU throwing errors were ruled hits before the errors. 

On the pitching side, it was a weird day. There's a strong chance that the cold and wind played a part, but nine earned runs on fifteen hits and seven walks is a yikes. Louisville matched the seven walks with seven strikeouts, but those seven Ks came from pitchers who threw just two of the walks. They'll want to clean that up. 

Louisville made the decision, as the wind stayed strong and the temperature dropped, to cancel yesterday evening's game against Northwestern. The Cards will face the Wildcats in the final game of the Cardinal Classic today at 1:30. Louisville moved to 14-5 with the win yesterday, and they'll see if they can continue what has been a good showing against Big Ten schools so far this year. If you don't feel like heading out to sit in the 30 degree weather at Ulmer, the game will be available on ACCNX. 

WBB Closes Regular Season at Notre Dame

Today is a big one. College Gameday is in South Bend for #25 Louisville and #3 Notre Dame for what is a huge game for both teams. After the win on Sunday against UNC slipped through Louisville's fingers, the Cards find themselves on the wrong side of the double-bye cut line entering the final day. Everything went wrong for Louisville Thursday, despite the victory over Clemson, as Duke beat the Tar out of the Heels, and FSU upset Notre Dame in South Bend to set up a four-way tie for third in the conference. 

This game has been big for Notre Dame since last Sunday, when they lost in double-overtime in Raleigh. The loss put ND and NC State on a collision course for a tie atop the league, with NC State holding the tiebreaker. Notre Dame's loss on Thursday made today's game even more dire. The Irish must win and have NC State lose at SMU to take the top spot. They'd also like to avoid a three game losing streak to close the season, and a Louisville win would give ND back-to-back home losses. Things aren't looking good for Louisville in the "Notre Dame motivation" department. 

On the Louisville side, the Cards are in a pickle. Four teams are vying for two spots among the double-byes. On decision day, UNC plays Virginia in Chapel Hill, and Duke and FSU play each other in Tallahassee. Let's look at the scenarios. One of Duke and FSU will go to 14-4. Louisville holds the two-way tiebreaker over both teams, so the two-way scenarios are simple. If Louisville wins and UNC loses, the Cards will be the 3-seed. If Louisville loses and UNC wins, Louisville will be the 5-seed. 

Now here's where things get a bit tricky, as Louisville and UNC getting the same result triggers a three-way tie. The first three-way tiebreaker is the record amongst the teams in the tie. Louisville has played each team just once, which puts them at a minor disadvantage. Louisville will be 1-1 in this category regardless of who wins the Duke/FSU game. UNC played Duke twice, going 1-1, and FSU once, going 0-1. That means a three-way tie with Duke would be UNC (2-1),  Louisville (1-1), and Duke (1-2). A three-way tie with FSU would see all three teams at 1-1, which triggers tiebreaker 2: record against highest rated teams. Now the battle for first comes back into play. UNC beat NC State, so if the Wolfpack are first in the league, UNC wins the three-way tie and Louisville then holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over FSU. If the Irish are first, FSU takes the three-way tie and UNC holds the head-to-head over Louisville.

Because UNC holds both three-way tiebreakers over Louisville, the Cards cannot get the 4-seed with a loss. Louisville and UNC both losing would mean Duke/FSU winner takes the 3-seed and UNC takes the 4-seed. However, this also means that Louisville can guarantee themselves a double-bye with a win. If Louisville beats Notre Dame, the Irish will be second in the league, regardless of the result of the NC State game against SMU. That means that UNC will win either three-way tiebreaker, and Louisville holds the head-to-head over Duke and FSU.

So, despite all the convoluted tiebreaker scenarios, Louisville's fate is actually pretty simple: win and you get a double-bye; lose and you don't. No pressure, Cards.

Today's game tips at noon on ESPN. 

ACC Tournament Pick 'Em 

Later today, we we ill know the seedings for the ACC Tournament. We will have our annual Pick 'Em...and you can enter in pour comments sections..up to tip off Wednesday. We will also have Sonya's pick in  the comments later today...winner hets their choice between a Cracker Barrel Gift Card or a Wagner's Restaaurant ( a UofL favorite...) Gift Card...a $25  card!  The tournament is free, just make sure to enter a total score for the final game guess, in case of ties. closest to wins... 

Fire away in the comments section when we have an offiicial finish...

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case