A CLASSIC --RIVER MOCS 10 -- MANATEE 9 -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

SQUEEZE BATTLE BACK, FALL JUST SHORT IN SLUGFEST

A very enjoyable two and a half hours of softball yesterday in the championship game of the FGCL Tournament, where the teams combined for 24 hits, 19 runs and more twists, turns, plot changes and excitement than an Alfred Hitchcock classic. 

It was #1 vs. #2 at Lakewood Ranch and it provided plenty of drama -- this 10-9 win by Myakka City. If you're a fan of precise pitching and spectacular fielding, this wasn't the game for you -- but if you're a fan of "powerball softball" it's certainly worth your time to watch a replay of it. If you missed the live stream of it yesterday on You Tube. I have a link for the rebroadcast below: 

MANATEE SQUEEZE VS MYAKKA CITY RIVER MOCS

This showdown started out very one-sided. Myakka City could do no wrong at the plate, the Squeeze was having trouble in the circle, on the field and at the plate. The River Mocs jumped to an early 8-0 lead after two innings and a run-rule contest looked like a real possibility. In wasn't Manatee starting pitcher Jenna Green's day, after a wonderful 9-1 season in the circle as the Squeeze's ace hurler. 

Drama reared its head in the bottom of the second. Starting River Mocs pitcher and MVP of the league Mack Leonard came to bat in the inning with her squad up 4-0 and reached first base after getting plunked by a pitch. She tried to advance to second on a subsequent ground ball, but was forced out at second. Then, in something you rarely see in softball, she was tossed from the game by the field umpire for interference with Manatee second baseman Stormy Kotzelnick. Usually you see an umpire warning in a case like this. Was something said by Leonard that caused the toss? Regardless...

Myakka City had lost their pitching ace. 

At first, it didn't seem to phase the River Mocs, they plated four more runs in the second, but Manatee (who had managed just one hit off Leonard in two innings of pitching) took advantage of the change in the circle. The Squeeze scored two runs in the third and added four more in the fifth inning. Meanwhile, Kenna Wilkey had come in to pitch for Manatee and was throwing a shutout for the Squeeze in the circle and Manatee had roared back to make it a 8-6 game.

"Uncle Mo" was in the Manatee dugout and Myakka City needed a response. 

The River Mocs got a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning off Wilkey but Manatee came to the plate in the top of the sixth and went right back to work. Meagan Ricks drew a walk off struggling Myakka City pitcher K. Hobbs. Cardinal Paige Schindler beat out an infield single and Abi Stuart singled to right, Schindler getting forced out on a very close play at second. That set the stage for Manatee left fielder Jordyn Kadlub.

She lifted a fly ball to left field that cleared the fence. A three-run homer tied the contest at 9-9. The Manatee miracle comeback had come full circle. Cardinal Jordyn Wolfe did her best to keep the run production going by reaching base after getting hit by a Hobbs full count pitch, but Wolfe was left stranded at second. 

This was a game you didn't want to see end, but, sadly it did in the next "at bats" for each squad. The River Mocs plated their 10th run of the day in the bottom of the sixth -- benefiting from a hit-by-pitch and single. 10-9. 

Could Manatee remain productive in the top of the seventh?

The inning started well, with Nikki Cuchran belting a lead-off double to center. But...a strike out, fly out to center and ground out failed to get the tying run home and the River Mocs had pulled out the win. 

Huge props to Manatee. It looked like curtains after two innings, but, this team never gave up the fight or the spirit all season long and that proved true again in the their final game. Would it have been different if Leonard hadn't been tossed for the River Mocs? We'll never know, obviously, but -- dealing in reality -- this was a game it was sad to actually have to declare a winner and loser in. 

Both teams gave it their all. 

For the Cardinals players in the contest, Jordyn Wolfe had a sparkling game, going two for three at the plate, reaching base three times and getting an RBI and scoring a run. Paige Schindler was also productive, going one for three at the plate. 

On the season, Wolfe batted .367 in the 23 games she played for Manatee. She had seven doubles, one triple, scored 15 runs and drove in seven. Schindler came on strong at the end of the schedule as the Squeeze designated hitter and batted .400 in 13 games. She had two home runs, three doubles, scored four runs and drove in 11. 

In a time where active sports have been scare, this league, these teams gave us something to write about, discuss, root for and debate. Wolfe and Schindler, two outstanding student-athletes, got the chance to continue their careers and have some fun in a competitive situation. We're proud of them here at Cardinal Couple and I guarantee the Cardinal softball coaches, staff and other players are, as well. 

We'll give them a little time and then see if we can line up interviews with the dynamic duo. 

It's sad to see this competitive summer league end. But, what a game to end it with! 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie
xxxxx

Swimming and Diving Suspended -- Squeeze Advance to Championship -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Swimming and Diving Suspended Following COVID-19

Big news came from the UofL campus yesterday when the announcement came that a two-week suspension of the swimming and diving program following a COVID-19 outbreak.

Three members of the program tested positive, although names and their involvement with the program were not released in accordance with HIPAA.

UofL began the suspension on Saturday, July 18, and they are expected to resume on Saturday, Aug. 1.  All proper procedures and protocol are being taken, and all members will have to retest and have negative results before rejoining the program.

This is the second program to run into COVID-19 related issues.  The men's basketball program ran into the same situation two weeks ago.

Although we hope to see this as the final case on campus there is a chance we will see more programs have similar issues in the coming weeks, especially when they play other opponents or travel out of town. If that happens at all. 2020 has been interesting.


Manatee Squeeze Advance to Championship


The Manatee Squeeze won their FGCL Tournament playoff opener against Fast Pitch U, 13-1 in five innings yesterday.

Cardinal softball student-athletes Jordyn Wolfe and Paige Schindler saw action and recorded multiple at bats.  Both players reached base safely at least once and either scored or recorded an RBI.

Stream Live Tampa was airing the game live through Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, Periscope and Twitter.  I managed to tune in as they headed to the bottom of the fourth with the Squeeze leading 5-1.  Between a trio of errors and a plethora of hits, the Squeeze added another eight runs.  They shut down Fast Pitch U in the top of the fifth inning to take the mercy rule victory.

Jenna Greene dominated the circle in the win with a five-inning, 11 strikeout performance from the Presbyterian College pitcher.

The win advanced them to the semifinals against the 6-seed Square Up Academy (SUA) Pioneers, who upset 3-seed Bradenton Slice.

In their second game, the Squeeze faced the Pioneers.  The Squeeze took the win, 11-0 in five innings again.

The Squeeze jumped on the Pioneers early with a four-run first inning.  Then another four runs in the second.  And three more in the third.

Despite incoming storm clouds, the Squeeze remained unfazed and continued to pound the ball in a contest that featured three home runs.  Our very own Paige Schindler had two of them.

Kenna Wilkey (Northwestern) took the win in the second game after pitching four shutout innings.

So, the #2 seeded Squeeze advance to tomorrow's championship game against the #1-seed Myakka City RiverMocs at noon, time tentative depending on weather.

The RiverMocs have dominated the league all season and did win their only tournament game in run-rule fashion yesterday (they got a first-round bye), but we did see the Squeeze get a win out of them recently.  It's a showdown you do not want to miss. The two squads faced each other three times in the regular season and the Manatee Squeeze won two of the contests -- 3-2 and 2-1. The River Mocs win was a 8-2 contest.

This game should be aired on the same platforms as yesterday.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Sunday Cardinal Couple - The Bracket is Set

FGCL Bracket is Set

We didn't get our normal hype around NCAA basketball bracket reveals this year, so we'll take a little bit of joy in this one.  The FGCL regular season has concluded and the tournament bracket is set.  Most of the tournament will be played tomorrow, with only the championship game on Tuesday.

Jordyn Wolfe, Paige Schindler, and the rest of the Manatee Squeeze finished the regular season in 2nd place, behind the Myakka City RiverMocs.  It is a seven team tournament, so the RiverMocs will get the first round bye.  The Manatee Squeeze will start the first round tomorrow against Fast Pitch U.  Times are still to be determined.  The 2nd round challenge would be against either the Bradenton Slice, or the Pioneers.  In the other half of the bracket, the Bradenton Lynx will compete with Impact Softball 20 to see who gets to attempt to take down the RiverMocs.

Jordyn Wolfe did get selected for the Sun Division All-Start team, along with about half of the Manatee Squeeze team.  The Squeeze had the most representatives on the All-Star team with eight getting the nod, while the Bradenton Slice had seven selections.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Technical difficulties prevented a live stream of the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour yesterday, but we
were able to record.  You can check it out below.

A full crew on board yesterday with myself, Paulie, Case and Jared

Topics included the latest on FGCL play, a rundown of some of the conference divisions concerning fall sports, and our typical summer Cardinal Couple quiz.  Paulie put us up against a tough one, but you'll be amazed at my performance in this one.

See if you can do better than us. Take the quiz. 

JMcA

Gaby Vincent -- Manatee Squeeze -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

VINCENT GETTING HER KICKS WITH ROYALS

Don't let the article sub-title fool you. Louisville women's soccer great Gaby Vincent isn't hanging out at Buckingham Palace or sitting down for tea with the Queen. 

She's another Cardinal in the pros and is playing defender for the Utah Royals in the National Women's Soccer League. The eight-team league is going through qualification rounds and Gaby and the Royals tied the Houston Dash in a 3-3 thriller in their first contest. Former NC State star Tziarra King had the tying goal for Utah. How fitting ...a "King" playing for the Royals, right? 

All eight teams (the Royals, Washington Spirit, North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Portland Thorns and the un-designated with any particular city -- Reign and Sky Blue) are centered in Utah. They're playing all the league matches at Zion Bank Stadium in Herriman, UT ( a suburb of Salt Lake City). No fans in the stands for the matches. 

The league has drawn media attention for allowing players to remain in the locker room or kneeling during the opening National Anthem. 

NWSL Games can be streamed on CBS All-Access. The Royals return to action on the fourth of July against the New Jersey based Sky Blue FC. 


NO SQUEEZING BY FOR MANATEE LAST NIGHT

In the FGCL Softball action last night, the Manatee Squeeze romped the Lynx last night 7-0. A four-run second inning, highlighted by a grand-slam home run for Stormy Kotzenick (Washington) proved to be all Manatee pitcher Jenna Greene (Presbyterian College) needed in the complete game, two-hit effort from  the circle. 

Louisville Cardinal Jordyn Wolfe went 1 for 4 in the win for Manatee, starting in right-field. Paige Schindler made an appearance at the plate and played first base for the Squeeze late in the contest, but failed to get a hit. 

The Manatee Squeeze are 7-2 on the second and are in second place in the league being the FGCL Myakka City RiverMocs (10-1) who won 5-1 last night. 

Games can be viewed on-line at Stream Live Tampa and you can follow Game Changer for stats and recaps.


KAREN FERGUSON DAYES TELECONFERENCE

Louisville head women's soccer coach Karen Ferguson Dayes takes to Zoom today for a scheduled 1:30 p.m. teleconference. 

Jared Anderson will review and report tomorrow on it -- providing his Internet is back up and functioning. If not, ol' Paulie will be back in the batters cage for you with the article.


Have a wonderful Wednesday!


paulie
xxxxx

  

Softball -- Coach Mitchell -- Podcast -- Sunday Cardinal Couple

Manatee Squeezed

The Manatee Squeeze team, with Cardinals Jordyn Wolfe and Paige Schindler sit in 2nd place in the league after a loss, yesterday, to the Bradenton Slice.  FGCL Myakka City RiverMocs are currently the league leaders with a record of 8-1-0 with the Squeeze just behind at 6-2-0.  The Slice are down a couple of more sports with a "just below water" 4-5-0 record.

The Slice used a four run 4th inning to break the game open. A grand slam home run did the trick.  The Squeeze would get one back in the 6th but it wouldn't be enough.

Jordan Wolfe had a double in three at-bats. Her fourth of the season. Paige Schindler did not appear in the circle to pitch...she did throw Thursday and Friday, so was probably scheduled for a rest. 

Sunday is a day off in the FGCL, but the teams will be back in action tomorrow.

Matthew Mitchell Undergoes Brain Surgery

Matthew Mitchell, generally well known around these pages for being the head coach of UofL
Women's Basketball arch rival Kentucky, underwent brain surgery yesterday to address a faint but persistent headache resulting from a subdural hematoma.  He is expected to fully recover.

Mitchell fell and experienced a concussion back in March, and then a couple of weeks ago he started experiencing headaches.

A subdural hematoma is a bleeding from blood vessels between the brain and skull.  The bleeding results in a pooling of blood the puts pressure on the brain matter and can, if not addressed, result in serious complications.

Of course the UofL vs UK rivalry is a big deal, and Mitchell is on "the other side" of it from our perspective, but of course we do wish the best for Mitchell and hope for a full recovery for him.  We look forward to seeing him with a perplexed look on his face on the sidelines, not because of any brain injury, but because the UofL squad shuts down Rhyne Howard again and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

NWSL Returns to Action

The connection to UofL women's sports is thin, but it's good to see the NWSL back on the pitch in Utah.  Yesterday kicked off the league's Challenge Cup with two matches.  Both matches, yesterday, were won with a 2-1 margin.  The first, between the North Carolina Courage, and Portland Thorns FC saw the Courage come out on top.  The second match, between the Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit, saw the Spirit get the win.  Cincinnati native and World Cup star Rose Lavelle got the first goal for the Spirit.

The big headlines from the NWSL kickoff came from before the first ball was put into play.  During the playing of the National Anthem for the first match, all of the starters for the Courage and Thorns donned Black Lives Matters t-shirts and took a knee to protest against racism and police brutality.  Notably, when famed soccer commentator and former national team player Alexi Lalas criticized the players on Twitter, the NWSL account itself came to their defense, saying, "If this is your takeaway from the organized action by our players, you clearly haven’t been listening, Alexi."

Lalas had suggested that taking a knee is now the the norm and that actually standing for the anthem would now take courage.  His tweet was subsequently deleted.

The next games in the NWSL are Thursday.  The Utah Royals will be in action at 12:30 pm.  The Royals have UofL alumna Gabrielle "Gabby" Vincent on their squad.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

Four in action yesterday for the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour.  Jared, Case, Paulie, and myself were all online.

We covered UofL Volleyball scheduling and how social distancing might work in L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.

We spent some time talking about the FGCL and our players' role there.  And finally we had the traditional summer quiz.

Once again, Jared proved his mastery over us in the quiz. Yesterday's theme was "Kentucky Proud" ... and was based around UofL women's athletic coaches and players from the commonwealth of Kentucky.  Take it yourself and see if you can top Jared's score of 100. 

Check it out below

Jordyn Wolfe/Paige Schindler Interview -- Manatee Outslugs Fast Pitch U in FGCL -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

JORDYN WOLFE/PAIGE SCHINDLER INTERVIEW

I had the opportunity to catch up with Louisville Softball junior student-athletes Jordyn Wolfe and Paige Schindler yesterday for a phone interview. The two are in Florida, playing in the Florida Gulf Coast Summer Softball league and play for the Manatee Squeeze. 

A great chat with Wolfe and Schindler! 

They talked about many things, including the decision to go to Florida, their team and teammates and what it's like to be playing in this summer league. 

You can follow their pursuits at https://gc.com/g/fgclsoftball   Live games and replays can also be viewed at Stream Live Tampa -

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYUMY4ctg4GR_Rd3WLiDlHQ

A special thanks to Jordyn and Paige for joining me in the interview and to Louisville Softball S.I.D. Lori Korte Harmon for arranging it!   LINK below to the interview: 

LINK:  JORDYN WOLFE and PAIGE SCHINDLER

Enjoy! 


MANATEE FINISH STRONG IN 13-8 WIN OVER FAST PITCH U

When a team trails 8-4 in the top of the seventh inning in softball, the objective is pretty clear. You need four runs to tie it and keep the game going. 

And, that's exactly what the Manatee Squeeze did last night in their 13-8 win over Fast Pitch U. in Florida Gulf Coast Summer Softball league action. They tied the contest, largely helped by a Nikki Cuchran two-run homer to center field. 

Manatee was not done with the "hot bats" by any means.

They added five more runs in the top of the eighth inning, pounding two more home runs -- including another by Cuchran, who plays for Northwestern in the collegiate season.

The 13-8 win featured the Manatee holding Fast Pitch U scoreless over the last four innings behind the strong pitching of Kenna Wilkey -- also from Northwestern. Manatee had 16 hits in the contest and five home runs. 

Louisville Cardinal softball pitcher Paige Schindler started the game in the circle for Manatee and went 3-2/3rd innings. She surrendered seven runs and seven hits. 

Outfielder Jordyn Wolfe, another Cardinal, entered the contest in the fifth inning as a designated hitter and went 0-3 at the plate in the contest. 

Manatee remains tied for first place in the league with the FGCL Myakka City RiverMocs . Both have 5-1 records.

Manatee is on a five game win streak, after dropping their opener by one run back on June 18th to the FGCL (SUA) Collegiate Pioneers 2-1. 

The Manatee get a chance for a little revenge this evening...they'll face the Pioneers again in a contest tonight. 

Game time is 7 p.m. EDT. 


The action is well worth your time to watch it. Let's face it, live sports aren't exactly flooding the TV screen or Internet these days, and a chance to watch some very competitive softball is just a few clicks away on your laptop, tablet or PC. GameChanger does a wonderful job with the stats, too -- keeping a comprehensive, detailed and current account of the plays and action.  

Have a fantastic Friday and stay safe. 


paulie
xxxxx

How will WNBA return go? --- Manatee Get Another Win -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

QUESTIONS...

As the WNBA gets closer to the (probable) beginning of their 2020 season, today players will start to decide whether they will participate or not. We've already heard from some players and their choices. If things go according to plan, the season would start in early July, go through a brief training camp and feature a 22 game regular season. Players have until June 25th to opt-in or out. 

There are unanswered questions. Here are some:  

1) What is the played testing plan and how often will test be run?  Will a "negative status" be required before they can enter the bubble? 

2) How many "positive tests" will lead to a cessation  of play? And, will player testing be treated differently than coach or staff testing, in terms of cessation, is the results are positive? We hope that NO ONE tests positive, but that hopw is probably unrealistic. 

3) If certain players decide to not play, how will signing replacement players be handled? 

4) How will practices be conducted with 12 teams?  The IMG Academy -- "the bubble" -- has a total of four courts on campus, spread over two gyms. 

5) Just who will be required to wear masks during practices and games? Will coaches and staff? Will masks be required for players who are on the bench or who have just come out of the game? How about during time-out or stoppage of action sideline huddles? 

We have no word yet on the decisions from the five UofL WBB players in the WNBA on whether they will play yet or not. We'll updatte you when that information becomes available. 

We hope that the season and the opening practices can go off without a hitch and that the players, coaches, referees and staff can all be kept safe and COVID-19 free. I'm excited to watch some basketball, like a lot of you, but I do hope that the safety of the athletes, coaches, staff and personnel will be "game plan #1". 


MANATEE GET ANOTHER WIN

I've been following the pursuits of the two Louisville Softball players (Jordan Wolfe and Paige Schindler in the FGCL Summer Softball league. Both play for the Manatee Squeeze squad, Wolfe an outfielder and Schindler a pitcher/utility player. 

The Manatee won again Tuesday night,  a 3-2 win over the Myakka City River Mocs Tuesday night. The Squeeze are now 4-1 on the season. Manatee is tied for first place in the league with the River Mocs. 

Wisconsin's Taylor Johnson had two home runs, solo shots, for the Squeeze. Pitcher Jenna Greene (Presbyterian College) went all seven innings for Manatee and threw nine strike outs. 

Jordyn Wolfe went 1-2 in the win, getting a double. She's having a good season for Manatee -- batting 5 for 13 (.385) and has three doubles in five games

Paige has appeared in four games for Manatee, two as a pitcher. and has one start. She's 0-0 in decisions, has pitched 5.2 innings, has an ERA of 2.47 and has thrown four strike-outs.

 Against Myakka City last night, she batted once and was hit by a pitch. 

Today is an off day for the league...the teams play five games a week, taking Wednesday and Sunday off.  

Best of continued luck to our Cardinals and Manatee as the league continues! 


paulie
xxxxx