Softball Concludes Season with Win -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Photo by NBC / Getty Images / Justin Casterline

Happy Monday!... or something like that. The Monday after Derby weekend should be recognized as a holiday due to the fact we could all use an extra recovery day. Over 107,000 in attendance for the Kentucky Oaks, over 156,000 in attendance for the Kentucky Derby, and a record number of bets placed worldwide means it was another successful Derby season here in 'The Ville'.

Paulie had some solid picks for those of you who partake in those types of events. Sadly, I ended up in the hole just a little bit- an Andrew Jackson and an Alexander Hamilton, but that's the risk you take. A head bob at the finish line may or may not go your way and this year did not go my way.

As you can tell, this is not Paulie. He and Sonya made a quick trip up to Cincinnati early this morning so he made a call to the bullpen for the day.

Softball Goes Out with a Bang, Wins Big

It may have come a day late and a dollar short, but Louisville softball earned a win yesterday. The Cards took down Boston College 11-4 in the series finale to conclude the regular season 27-25. They were one game away from qualifying for the ACC Tournament (they finished 11th in the conference), and as Jeff mentioned yesterday, the Cards are considered eligible to make the NCAA Tournament but realistically have little chance of getting in.

Louisville wasted no time in putting a run on the scoreboard. Daisy Hess and Bailee Richardson led the game off with back-to-back walks. Riley Frizell hit a single to the outfield, which scored Hess. Boston College evened the score later that inning with a solo home run.

In the third inning, Richardson's second walk came at an opportune time due to a Vanessa Miller home run later in the inning. The Cards did give up a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Louisville answered in the top half of the following inning to regain the lead 4-3 thanks to a solo shot by Gabby Holloway.

Singles by Hess and Richardson and a walk by Frizell loaded the bases in the sixth inning. Holloway's sac fly helped the Cards push the lead to 5-3 before the Eagles hit a home run that same inning to bring the score within one.

The seventh inning proved to be a good one as the Cards put up a six spot. Kiley Goff and Mia Forsythe opened the inning with back-to-back singles. A Jac Hasty fielder's choice ended up with Goff out at third but runners still on first and second. Hess came up and made the most out of her final collegiate plate appearance, hitting a three-run home run. Keep in mind that the Cards held a one-run lead entering the inning so this "touch 'em all" gave Louisville a four-run advantage. Richardson and Frizell walked after that and were driven in on a double by Miller, who then was able to advance to third. Holloway hit another sac fly to plate Miller.

Brooke Gray was able to complete the full game in the final inning with many thanks to a game-ending play at the plate. The win is Gray's fourth of the season.

It was a great final game for Louisville's eight seniors. Their stats are as follows:

-Daisy Hess (3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB)

-Bailee Richardson (1-1, 1B, 4 BB)

-Riley Frizell (1-3, 1 RBI, BB)

-Vanessa Miller (2-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI)

-Gabby Holloway (1-2, HR, 3 RBI, BB)

-Paige Geraghty (2-5)

-Kiley Goff (1-2, BB, HBP)

-Mia Forsythe (1-4)

-Bailee Richardson's four walks in the game tied a program record.

-Mia Forsythe recorded her first hit of the season.

-Kiley Goff was hit by a pitch for the 21st time this season, ranking second in program history.

-Riley Frizell led the team with 13 home runs and 49 rbis.

-Daisy Hess led the team with 34 walks this season, ranking fifth in program history.

-Vanessa Miller led the team with 13 stolen bases this season while also posting career bests with 11 home runs and 39 rbis.

This season certainly didn't end up how we had hoped, but the Cards did get wins against ranked opponents in Arizona, Duke, Florida State, and Clemson. Errors and not being able to close out games were the two big killers. The Cards lost 14 games by two runs or less or in extra innings. Louisville finished the year with 59 defensive errors and a .960 fielding percentage.

Cardinal Couple has reached out about potentially interviewing some of the graduating seniors in the coming weeks. We hope to hear back with good news soon!

Tune back in tomorrow to see what insight Paulie will offer for us.

Happy Monday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Hosts Senior Weekend -- FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Welcomes Clemson for Senior Weekend

Louisville softball will honor eight seniors this weekend as they close out the home season against #21 Clemson. The seniors being recognized are Mia Forsythe, Riley Frizell, Paige Geraghty, Kiley Goff, Daisy Hess, Gabby Holloway, Vanessa Miller, and Bailee Richardson.

Forsythe, Holloway, and Miller all spent their full careers with Louisville. Goff spent a year at Purdue, two at Maryland, and played her senior season with the Cards. Geraghty played two years at Auburn and the last two seasons at Louisville. Frizell played three years at Missouri before joining the Cards this past year. Richardson was at Georgia State for four years before utilizing her COVID-19 eligibility at Louisville. Hess spent three years at Georgia State before spending her final two seasons of eligibility for UofL. Everyone but Hess and Richardson would be able to use a COVID-19 eligibility year next year if they choose.

Taylor Roby also returns to Ulmer Stadium this weekend. One of the best pitcher-hitter combo players that Louisville has ever seen has been a student coach with the Tigers this year. Roby holds the records for career and single season home runs at Louisville. 

Louisville enters the weekend 25-21 overall and 6-12 in the ACC. Their conference record currently places them ninth out of 13 teams. 

Clemson is 31-15 on the year. The Tigers are fourth in the ACC with a 13-8 mark. They hit .298 as a team with six players batting over .300. As a team, Clemson has tallied 375 hits with 51 home runs and 276 runs scored. McKenzie Clark leads the team with a .373 batting average and 53 hits. 

The five pitchers for the Tigers have a collective 2.19 ERA. They have a collective 251 strikeouts to 294 hits allowed. Valerie Cagel is the hurler that has done the most damage to the Cards over her five year career with the Tigers and is 8-5 this year, 

All three games will be aired on ACCNX. Tonight's first pitch is set for 6:00pm.

Happy Friday and Go Cards!

Jared

Louie Awards -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Louie Awards

Last night was the annual Louie Awards, where Louisville Athletes recognizes various Louisville student-athletes and teams. The awards usually run on a calendar year and not a school year since several spring sports are still in action for a little while longer, so we did see some spring 2023 accomplishments make the list. Spring 2024 accomplishments are not eligible.

Cardinal Cup Award team - Rowing

Female CardsCARE team (community service) - Rowing

Female CardsCARE individual (community service) - Krista Wheeler, Swim and Dive

Highest Senior GPA - Minna Tremonti, Field Hockey

Female Teammate of the Year - Gabby Holloway, Softball

Female Rookie of the Year - Lucy Mehraban, Swim and Dive

Female 2024 UPS Leadership Award - Anna DeBeer, Volleyball

Highest Female GPA team - Soccer, 3.743 Fall 2023

Female Moment of the Year - Taylor Roby single-season home run record with 23, Softball

Female Adidas High Performer Athlete of the Year - Anna DeBeer, Volleyball

Spirit Squad Outstanding Seniors - Makayla Kempf (Ladybirds), Alyssa Freitas (All-Girl Cheer)

There were also several awards dedicated to male athletes, men's teams, and overall awards that went towards male individuals or teams. The Team Moment of the Year was when Louisville football upset then-#10 Notre Dame, which was the second straight season Louisville defeated a top-10 team at home and rushed the field. 

While our time with some players have concluded like Taylor Roby or are almost over like Gabby Holloway, there are plenty of moments to cherish and remember. We also have plenty to look forward to with other players like Anna DeBeer, who will return for a fifth year in the fall, and Lucy Mehraban, who still has three more years of eligibility remaining.

This is always something to look forward to late into the school year to reflect back on how things went. For someone like me, it's cool to see how many events or student-athletes I have seen in person.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cards Pick Up Series Opening Upset -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Walks Off FSU 5-4

What a game last night! One team took an early lead, the other battled back, and it came down to the final play. No, I'm not talking about the second semifinal matchup between UConn and Iowa. In a game that many might have thought would go more like the first semifinal between NC State and South Carolina, where the underdog was ultimately run out of the gym, Louisville softball welcomed in a top-25 ranked Florida State team and got the series off to a great start with a walk-off victory. 

Unsurprisingly, Alyssa Zabala took the ball in the circle for the Cards. Louisville had weather in their favor, bringing FSU into an overcast and rapidly cooling Ulmer Stadium where the temperature at first pitch was listed as 50 degrees. The cold may have settled into Zabala a bit as well, though, as she walked the first batter of the game. A foul out followed and a double scored the opening run. A liner to Daisy Hess at short and a full-count ground out to third ended the inning. 

Louisville changed up the offensive lineup a bit, moving Hess to the leadoff, putting Frizell second, and slotting Vanessa Miller into the three-hole. Miller had been batting mostly in the heart of the order. It was an interesting move, as you usually want a bit of speed in the second slot in case your leadoff fails to get on base. Hess fouled out on a full count and Frizell coaxed a seven-pitch full count walk. Miller struck out, though, and Richardson popped it up to end Louisville's first inning opportunity. 

Another double welcomed Zabala back to the circle, but she followed this one with two outs as well. Unfortunately, the next batter worked a nine-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with two out. Florida State's third hit of the game was their third double, and another run scored. FSU held the runner at third, which was helpful, since Zabala earned her second strikeout of the game to end the side. Cards trailed 2-0 after 1.5 innings. A three up, three down offensive side meant they trailed 2-0 after two full innings as well. 

Zabala finally started to settle in in the third. She picked up a three-pitch strikeout to open the side before giving up her third walk in as many innings. This time, she worked out of it with a foul out and a ground out to escape any more damage. FSU put Hess on base with a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the third, but it came with two outs. Frizell struck out, and it was beginning to look like Louisville's offense just wouldn't have the juice in this game. 

Zabala stayed locked in, though, retiring the side in order for the first time in the game. She nearly struck out the side, as well, picking up two Ks to open the inning before a 2-2 count was spoiled by a foul and then grounded out. In the bottom half, Louisville put the first batter on base for the first time in the game when Miller was first-pitch swinging and knocked a single through the right side of the infield. That effort was erased on a fielder's choice that saw Bailey Richardson replace Miller at first, but Gabby Holloway made good use of the runner on base anyway. Holloway took the first pitch over the fence in right center and tied the game at 2-2. 

I'm not sure what Miller or Holloway were seeing in their first at bats that gave them so much confidence in the second. Miller struck out on three pitches and Holloway flew out on the third pitch of her at bat. Whether it was something they saw in their at bats specifically, or if it was just a matter of the FSU pitcher wearing down and more pitches being seen from the dugout, the result is the same. Louisville was right back in the game, and the teams started anew in the top of the fifth. 

Jac Hasty took over at second for Ally Alexander and was called into action pretty quickly. After the first batter walked, a grounder to Richardson turned into a fielder's choice as Hasty couldn't make the turn to first. Double plays are hard in softball, and this may well have been a bunt attempt. Either way, Hasty was able to field the throw cleanly to get the lead runner. Zabala picked up a flyout and a foul out to end the threat. 

Louisville's offense hadn't quite finished things in the bottom of the fourth, so they picked it back up in the bottom of the fifth. Paige Geraghty hit an infield single that was reviewed before she was deemed to be safe. Chelsea Mack bunted her over and the Cards had the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. Hess made that two outs, unfortunately, with a fly out, but Roo (Frizell's nickname) tripled down the line to give Louisville the lead. Miller singled for a touch of insurance, which would prove to be rather useful. Louisville led 4-2 after five. 

The long at-bats were starting to get to Zabala. Even outs were going long, and she ultimately threw 144 pitches in the game. The sixth opened with a nine-pitch fly out before a single put a runner on base. A walk made it first and second with one out, and a sac fly put runners on the corners. After a steal, there were two runners on and two outs. Zabala got behind in the count, but worked what should have been the final out anyway. A fielding error at first scored two unearned runs and tied the game. A greedy steal attempt was thrown out to end the inning. 

Louisville looked to strike back immediately in the bottom half, using a walk and a sac bunt to put a runner in scoring position, but a strikeout and a foul out set up an exciting final frame. The Cards headed to the field looking to keep the game tied 4-4 and give themselves an opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. 

It was a shaky start, as a single turned into a double on an error. A sac bunt put the go-ahead run on third for FSU with just one out. A hard ground ball to Richardson at third set up an interesting play. Going to first gets an out, but you give up the go ahead run. A hard hit ball meant that Richardson could beat the runner to home, which she did. Kylie Goff tagged out the lead runner, then popped and fired to second. The batter, seeing an opportunity on a bang-bang play at the plate, had turned the corner at first thinking she would sneak an extra 60 feet out of the out. She was wrong. Goff's throw to Hasty was on the money and a double-play ended FSU's threat. 

A three-pitch strikeout wasn't what the doctor ordered in the bottom of the seventh in a tie game, but Hess singled to put the winning run on base with one out. Frizell walked again, putting Hess that much closer to the plate. Miller grounded out to first, but the only play was for the fielder to step on the bag, meaning it acted effectively as a sacrifice, moving Hess and Frizell up. Louisville's upset winning run was 60 feet away and her former and current teammate stepped up to the plate. With the count full, Bailey Richardson sent one through the middle to bring Daisy Hess trotting home with her hands up in celebration. Cards win 5-4. 

The Cards needed this one. After dropping a game they shouldn't have against Pitt last weekend, Louisville was in danger of their conference season getting away from them if they were swept at home again. A win over a ranked team is always good, and this one moved Louisville to 23-14 overall and 4-6 in conference. Being the series opener, it also has the potential to set the tone for the weekend. Louisville was fairly efficient in this one as well. They struggled early on offense, but they managed to score five runs and only left four runners on base. FSU left five on, and it could have been seven if not for the two-run error. The Cards will look for a bit more consistency on offense today and tomorrow, as they picked up just seven hits on 25 at bats last night. 

Alyssa Zabala was nails. She gave up four runs, but only two were earned, and she picked up the complete game win. She allowed five hits and five walks, but also struck out five and didn't hit any batters. She also didn't give up a home run and only eight batters flew out. Zabala was very good, but I would guess she isn't throwing today, and maybe not tomorrow, after 144 last night. We'll see if the rest of Louisville's staff can have the same success against FSU. 

Post game was with Zabala and the winning hitter Bailey Richardson, which you can hear below. The Cards and Seminoles are back in action this afternoon at 1PM. Today is Pups in the Park, if you can bear the cold, or you can check it out on ACC Network Extra. 

Jared Anderson Postgame with Zabala and Richardson

Court Sports

Louisville volleyball took on UK in a spring match yesterday evening, and results aren't available. The Cards' twitter account posted that it is "always fun when red and blue get together" with some photos from the match, which leads me to believe that Louisville was on the wrong end of the final score. As we've mentioned before, the results of offseason matches never really mean much, but we'll hear from Jeff as the person in attendance on today's show. 

The winner of your 2024 Cardinal Couple NCAA Tournament Pick 'Em Challenge is Jason. Jason correctly picked the South Carolina and Iowa victories last night to move to 55 wins. Since Blue Lou didn't have the Gamecocks advancing, they go to 53 wins, which isn't enough to overcome Jason in the Iowa/SC final game matchup. Blue Lou locks down second, though, as all contenders for third (Kenneth Stark Sr, Katy, and Thomas) are at just 51 wins. Thanks to everyone for playing this year!

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll be without Daryl again this week, but we'll have four on board to chat about this week's goings-on. There's plenty to discuss, to be sure, so we'll get into all of it. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Iced Out on Chilly Friday -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Gray Shelled Early in Loss to Illinois

Louisville softball, on the heels of a comeback win against South Dakota on the first day of the Cardinal Classic, handed the ball to the freshman wunderkind in the circle against Illinois (9-11 entering the game) to take care of business. Unfortunately, the early scoring bug bit the Cards again, and they were shut out for the first time this season as the game wore on. After giving up a four-spot in the first, Louisville would give up single runs on two more occasions before ultimately falling 6-0 to the Illini. 

There's a first time for everything, and I imagine that Brooke Gray did not have "give up three runs in 0+ innings" on her to-do list when she got up yesterday morning. In fact, I imagine it didn't even cross her mind since it has not happened to her in her career. That's the way it went yesterday evening, though, with Illinois jumping on her like a flea. A full-count triple opened the game (if you start with a 3-0 count bad things happen), and a single scored the first run. Another single on a bunt put two on and a double cleared the bases. Four straight hits was enough to end Gray's day, and Gabby Holloway took over. The Cards first out came on a caught stealing, and a pop-up gave the defense their second. Another single and double extended the lead to 4-0 before the inning finally ended. 

The Cards looked to have a chance to fight back right away. Chelsea Mack singled to open the inning and Daisy Hess walked to put two on with nobody out. The threat ended there, though, as three straight strikeouts ended the inning. Louisville did not put two runners on at the same time for the remainder of the game. Illinois threatened to have another big inning in the second, but a pair of strikeouts with the bases loaded made it so that the Cards needed just one to get out of the inning. A wild pitch scored a run to make it 5-0 and a hit that would have made it 7-0 was negated by a runner leaving early to end the inning. Illinois scored one more in the top of the 7th to set the final score at 6-0.

Louisville ended the first with an ERA of 28 and a WHIP of 6. Those are... bad. Louisville's first inning pitching has left a bit to be desired this season. The Cards have an ERA of 5.65 in the first inning and WHIP of 1.81. They've held the opponent to no walks, hits, or runs in just eight games so far. All eight of those games have resulted in wins. In games in which the Cards have given up a run in the first inning, only one of those was a single run. That came against Virginia Tech on what could have been a two-run homer but the runner that opened the inning was called out for leaving early. Louisville has just one win in games in which they gave a run in the first; it came against Bowling Green. 

Overall, Louisville's pitching is much better than in the first inning. Their ERA is 3.30 on the season and their WHIP is just 1.44. It's clear that the Cards are losing games as a result of slow starts in the circle and it's a problem that will have to get sorted out. This is a team that isn't doing a good job of playing from behind, so they need to stop getting behind. At 17-9, Louisville is still off to a good start. There is plenty of time to get on track and one of their biggest hurdles in the ACC is already behind them. The Cards get a rematch against Michigan this evening. Louisville won the first game between the two teams on February 17th in Boca Raton. It was a 2-0 victory for the Cards, and it was one of the games where Louisville blanked the opponent in the first. Head out to Ulmer at 6PM or tune in to ACC Network Extra.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We're back with another episode this week and the show should return to it's live form on the YouTube channel. There will be four on the call, with Daryl out playing Pick-Up Sticks or something like that. We'll talk lacrosse and softball and likely make some predictions about Louisville's seeding in the upcoming NCAA tournament. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball and Lacrosse Open Seasons -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Sweeps Double Header

Louisville softball got their season started in Ft. Myers, Florida yesterday with games against Long Island University and Georgetown University. The Cards got ahead early in both games and held on to win the pair. The offense wasn't stellar, with Louisville scoring just six runs across the two games, but the defense and pitching gave up just one run in response. Louisville walked away from yesterday morning's game against LIU with a 2-0 victory and they carry a 4-1 win over Georgetown into this evening's rematch against the Hoyas. 

In the top of the first against LIU, Easton Lotus moved into the lead-off spot and walked to open the game. She then stole second. Kylie Goff, in her first game as a Cardinal, batted second, and also drew a walk. A wild pitch moved the two runners to second and third, so Daisy Hess, who took over the third spot in the order, decided to also take a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Another newcomer, Riley Frizell, held the cleanup spot and promptly singled in the first run of the season. LIU finally got their first out when Bailee Richardson grounded out, but it was a fielder's choice to third and Goff came home on the play. Paige Geraghty reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases again when LIU couldn't get an out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat. Louisville led 2-0, and that would be that. 

Alyssa Zabala got the start for Louisville in the first game, and she finished with three hits and a walk given up over four full innings. She struck out one batter but gave up no runs. LIU's biggest threat came in the third, when two singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Zabala was able to induce two pop-outs to preserve the shutout. Sam Booe took over in the circle after the fourth, presumably just to rest Zabala's arm. Zabala was effective in the fourth, allowing one hit but otherwise getting three quick outs, but the Sharks were finding the ball with their bats, which isn't usually good for keeping scoring down. Booe came in and struck out five over three innings, but also gave up a hit, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch. Not the cleanest, but not the end of the world. The runners were scattered, with just a walk and the HBP coming together in the sixth. A strike out and a grounder straight to third took care of it.

Offensively, Frizzell was the only player with multiple hits for the Cards. Hess, Richardson, and Chelsea Mack (the UK transfer who has taken over in CF), were the only other players to reach base more than once, with a walk and a hit each. Mack and Richardson answered the defensive questions that were outstanding. With Zabala in the circle, the defense went Goff (C), Frizzell (1B), Lotus (2B), Richardson (3B), Hess (SS), Geraghty (LF), Mack (CF), and Vanessa Miller (RF). Gabby Holloway got a hit as a pinch hitter and Maddi Grant was the designated hitter.

The second game saw a bit more offense out of the Cards, who took a 1-0 lead in the second and went on to win 4-1. The second game saw a change to the lineup, with Ally Alexander taking over at third and Richardson moving to DH. Gabby Holloway had the start in game two and pitched very well, but it was Brooke Gray who earned her first collegiate win in relief. Izzy Harrison came on to close the game out and, while she gave up two walks in the seventh, she struck out the side for the save. 

Like the first game, Lotus reached first in her first at bat, this time on a single, and stole second. Her steal came after Goff had struck out, but Hess walked to backfill at first. A strikeout and a line out ended the inning. Holloway, who gave up a hit in the first, played with fire a bit in the second, as she gave up back-to-back singles to open the inning. She followed up the hits with a pair of strikeouts split by a ground out to end the threat, and the Cards rewarded her.

The bottom of the second opened with a Paige Geraghty triple, and she came home two batters later on an Alexander single up the middle. That 1-0 lead held through the fourth, despite Georgetown loading the bases with nobody out. An uncharacteristic error by Hess opened the inning and a single put two on. A bunt that was probably intended to be a sacrifice was beat out and the bases were loaded. A pop up got the first out of the inning and a sharp ground ball to Easton Lotus was smartly played. Double plays are difficult to turn in softball because of the larger ball and the shorter base paths. Rather than try to get the 4-6-3 double-play, Lotus fired the ball to Goff for the force out at the plate. The bases remained loaded, but the run didn't score. A ground out to Hess, who calmly rectified her prior error, ended the inning.

Louisville would put two runners in scoring position in the bottom half, but nothing came of it. The fifth brought the end of Holloway's season debut. A walk to open the inning turned into a runner on third with one out after a sacrifice and a steal. Holloway picked up a strikeout to make it one on with two outs, but a single tied the game. With a tie game in the fifth, Coach Holly Aprile turned to the young starter in Brooke Gray. Gray got a fly out against her first college batter (excluding fall ball) and Louisville took over. Hess opened with a walk and advanced despite Frizell's grounder being right at second base. A foul out meant there was just one out to bring the run around, but an error gave the Cards a freebie. Paige Geraghty singled to third, who was thrown off by the advancing Hess. The Hoya 3B airmailed the throw to first and both Louisville players advanced, with Hess coming home for an unearned run. Cards regained their lead 2-1.

Another fly out opened Gray's first full inning of work, and it was followed by a double. She picked up her first strikeout on the ensuing pinch hitter, and the pinch runner was thrown out at third on an attempted steal. Three up, three down... kind of. Maddi Grant came on to pinch hit for Alexander to open the sixth and tripled to right. Chelsea Mack singled her home and stole second. Easton Lotus singled through the middle and Mack's counterpart in center couldn't get the throw home in time. Lotus advanced to second on the throw and then a bunch of weird stuff happened. Georgetown made a quadruple change and the new pitcher plunked Kylie Goff. Hess then popped up, and Lotus somehow advanced on the play. Frizell grounded to second, where Goff was out, and Mia Forsythe was caught stealing after coming on to pinch run. Nevertheless, Louisville led 4-1.

Izzy Harrison came on to close out the game, with Gray in line for the win, and walked the first two batters. You already know how this ends, so I'll spare you the dramatics. The ball was never in play in the seventh, with the two walks being followed by three strikeouts. Ball game, Cards. Easton Lotus and Paige Geraghty were the only two Louisville hitters with multiple hits in this one. Goff reached twice as the result of an HBP, and Hess was the only other Cardinal to reach base more than once. Hess walked three times, a very Joey Votto-esque performance in the 3-hole. 

Louisville is back in action at 5PM this evening with a rematch against Georgetown, which will be immediately followed by a game against FGCU (scheduled for 7:30). The Cards will take on FGCU again tomorrow at 12:30PM to close out the event. Both games against the hosts will be available on ESPN+.

Lacrosse Falls at Denver

The Cards made a game out of it against the Pioneers, but the final score doesn't quite reflect the threat. Louisville cut Denver's lead to 11-8 entering the fourth quarter, but 5-0 quarters bookending the game set the final score at a lopsided 16-8. The Cards were competitive in the mid-game but were unable to match pace with the offensive output of a Final Four team from last season.

As you might expect, after the rules changes this offseason, the penalty summary is nearly as long as the goal summary. Ten cards were issued in this one, with Louisville picking up seven of them. Playing with fewer players on the field is a good way to give up power play goals, as you might expect. No Cardinal was carded more than once, which is good, but we'll have to see if they can clean things up as the season progresses.

On the offensive side, Louisville was led by Kokoro Nakazawa's three goals. Kylea Dobson, Tiffany Natoli, Nicole Perroni, and Negai Nakazawa scored one apiece. The Cards only had two assists, with one coming from Negai, and the other coming from Izzy Seikel. Louisville converted 8 of their 14 shots on goal, and those 14 shots on goal came on just 23 shots. The Cards were competitive on draw controls, as well, losing that battle just 12-14. Louisville recovered more ground balls and had more clears. Denver's offense was just overwhelming. Sara Addeche played the entire match and finished with 14 saves. A herculean effort against 30 shots. 

The Cards have today off before they head to Boulder to take on Colorado tomorrow at 2PM. There is a lot to learn from this game, despite the outsized deficit at the end, as Louisville led the middle portion of the game 8-6. They'll have to score in the first and fourth quarters to win going forward, though.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We're without Jeff this week, as a road trip to see former Louisville players in the PVF takes him away. We'll have Jared, Daryl, and myself, as well as another week with Paulie, to fill the show. We'll talk big WBB games and the opening of the spring sports seasons. There won't be any live stream of this week's episode, but you can check out the podcast as always. The show officially starts at 11 AM Eastern, and there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

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Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Lacrosse Season Comes to a Close; Softball Sweeps -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Lacrosse Loses in Opening Round of ACC Tourney

After picking up their second conference win against Duke just over a week ago, Louisville found themselves seeded 8th in the conference tournament, ahead of both Duke and Pitt, the two teams they beat this season. Despite the worse overall record (Duke was 6-1 out of conference), Louisville hosted in the first round of the ACC tournament. Unfortunately, Duke was ready to get revenge for the close loss they suffered at the same stadium very recently. 

Duke got the scoring started early, and it looked for a bit like the Cards would be run off their own field. Duke scored the first three goals over seven and a half minutes, with the first coming less than two minutes into the contest. Negai Nakazawa finally put Louisville on the board with just over seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, but Duke answered to make it 4-1 a minute later. With just ten seconds left in the period, Hannah Morris scored her first goal of the game to cut the lead in half. 

Louisville opened the scoring in the second period, again with a goal from Negai Nakazawa. This time, Negai was assisted by her sister Kokoro and the Cards were within one. Duke was insistent on remaining up by a pair of goals, matching Nakazawa's second a minute later. Nicole Perroni got in on the action with 10:09 left in the half to bring Louisville back to one, and they played that way for a bit. Duke was able to extend their lead again before Hannah Morris went on a tear. With Louisville trailing 6-4, Morris rattled off three goals in a shade over three minutes to swing the advantage into Louisville's favor. Duke grabbed one more goal with 93 seconds left in the half, and the two teams entered the locker room tied.

It was the usual suspects for Louisville coming out of the break, as the first three and a half minutes saw Louisville go up by a pair on another Nakazawa double-feature to earn Negai the hat trick and a fifth goal from Morris. Duke remained focused, though, and they buckled down on defense. Louisville went five minutes before Allegra Catalano was able to score their tenth team goal of the game. In that time, Duke managed to score three of their own, with two coming just 14 seconds apart. The rest of the third quarter played tight, but neither team found the back of the net again. Just as they had started the third, they ended it tied.

To open the fourth, another Nakazawa goal found Louisville ahead by one. Kokoro was in charge this time, scoring her 22nd goal of the season. Unfortunately for Nakazawa and for Louisville, it was her (and the team's) last goal of the year. Duke tied it up with 8:43 remaining, and the rest of the game was agonizing for the Cards. After a yellow card put Louisville down a player, a second put the Cards down two with a minute left on the first penalty kill. Sara Addeche saved the free position shot created by the second foul (one of 16 saves in the complete game), but the pressure remained. Despite getting one player back on the field, Louisville played at a disadvantage for too long. Twenty seconds before the second penalty timed out, Duke scored to make it 12-11 with 3:54 remaining.

Louisville had their chances to tie it up once more, but it wasn't meant to be. A free position shot by Kokoro Nakazawa was saved while Negai had one shot go wide and another hit the post. It came down to a free position shot by Hannah Morris with ten seconds left. The attempt hit the post. It was Morris's only missed conversion of the game, and it's an extremely unfair way for her career to end. The graduate senior finishes her time at UofL with 138 goals and 19 assists in 74 games. She scored 43.3% of her shots and put 71.5% of her attempts on target.

Louisville's loss in the first round will put a cap on their season, as 5-12 will be unlikely to draw any attention for the NCAA tournament. Duke advances to the quarterfinals Wednesday to take on Boston College. We'll have plenty more to say about the lacrosse season as time goes on.

Softball Earns 9-2 Win in Finale at Virginia

After a bit of a barn-burner Saturday evening, Louisville left little doubt in their series finale in Charlottesville as they lumped the scoring on early to sweep the Cavaliers. Louisville used a mix of small ball and long shots to rack up the runs, and a couple of early Virginia runs were largely ignorable as the game went on. 

Korbe Otis got the game started off well for the Cards with a lead-off home run. Easton Lotus was first-pitch swinging after that and reached on an error. Taylor Roby singled Lotus all the way to third, and Virginia's starting pitcher found herself relieved of the ball. The new pitcher for the 'Hoos may have benefited from a bit more time warming up as she hit Sarah Gordon with the first pitch. Reaching scoring position with no outs saw Roby removed from the base paths with Mia Forsythe brought on to pinch run. The move paid off, as a Daisy Hess single scored two runs. With runners on second and third with nobody out, Louisville managed to score no more runs. So it goes sometimes. Louisville took a 3-0 lead into the bottom half.

Taylor Roby got the start again in this game and things started a bit less swimmingly for her than they did on Saturday. The first two batters singled, but Louisville halted their progress with a fielder's choice out at third to put runners on first and second with one out. Unfortunately, Roby immediately undermined the defense's efforts with a wild pitch to move both runners up. It came back to haunt her immediately, as a single scored both runners and the batter advanced on the throw to home. A ground out to first put the tying run at third base, and a full-count walk followed. Roby kept the lead alive by forcing a ground out to end the inning.

After Paige Geraghty grounded out to roll over the lineup, Otis picked up right where the top half of the order had left off in the first. She walked, and Lotus followed her with a single. Both advanced on a throwing error, and Roby helped get her runs back with a single to score Otis. Gordon was up next, and she singled as well. She and Roby both advanced an extra base as Virginia unsuccessfully attempted to throw out Easton Lotus at home. Another two-RBI single from Daisy Hess put Louisville up by five, but they would score no more in the inning. After a single and a fielder's choice that got no outs loaded the bases, a double-play ended the threat. A four spot left the Cards ahead 7-2. 

Virginia continued to put the bat on the ball against Roby. A single was followed by a come-backer right to Roby, who turned it into a double-play. Seeming to be out of a jam, she found herself right back in one with a single and a walk. Whether it was tiredness or Virginia having seen too much of her the night before, Coach Holly Aprile decided it was time for a change. Saturday's victor, Gabby Holloway, stepped into the circle and got a flyout to end the inning. 

With Otis batting for the third time in three innings, she couldn't keep the run going and Louisville quickly had two outs. Lotus kicked off a rally, though, and singled with two strikes. Roby walked, and Virginia made another pitching change before Sarah Gordon stepped in. This time, she elected to do the hitting instead of being hit by a new pitcher, and she singled up the middle to score Lotus. Daisy Hess stepped in and hit another single, this one deep enough to score Roby from second and give Hess her fifth RBI of the night. A ground out stranded a pair, but Louisville had extended their lead to 9-2. That would be the final. 

Duke managed to pick up just two hits and a walk off of Holloway over the next five innings, and they were all scattered. She earned four strikeouts and threw just 72 pitches over those five (it took her just two to get the final out of the second, bringing her total to 74). Louisville was similarly frustrated for the remainder of the game, though two of their three hits came in the same inning. The Cards were under a bit less pressure, though, playing with a seven-run lead instead of the inverse. Offensively, Louisville got perfect on-base nights from both Taylor Roby and Daisy Hess, with the pair combining for half of the team's 14 hits and two-thirds of its RBIs. 

Last night's win moved Louisville to 32-14 overall and 13-4 in the ACC. Despite some of the early losses (and some of the headscratchers later), Louisville has played quite well this season. The Cards are now 4-2 in conference series and have moved into third ahead of Duke based on win percentage. Louisville has played a series less than most teams in the league and one game less than Florida State due to the canceled game at Syracuse. Louisville has also scored just one run less than FSU and is just five behind the co-leaders in conference runs scored, Duke and Notre Dame, who have both played five more games than the Cards. The defense has been better than you might expect as well, with Louisville having given up fewer runs than everyone but FSU, Clemson, and UNC. That comes with a grain of salt, though, as the fewer games is definitely playing a part.

The Cards have the bookends of the conference remaining this season. They'll return to Ulmer to round out the home schedule with a series against last-in-the-league Boston College this weekend. On Derby weekend, as they usually do, they'll hit the road. Top-seeded FSU awaits, and Louisville will have a big chance to score some NCAA attention on that first weekend in May. A sweep of Boston College and at least one win against the Seminoles would be ideal, but they'll have to take it one game at a time.

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Drops Game 1 of ACC/B1G Challenge -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Illinois Scores Early and Often to Down UofL 6-1

After Louisville dropped their second game on opening day to Kentucky, the Cards won out the weekend to sit at 4-1 on the season. They carried those positive vibes into Atlanta this weekend for four games against Illinois and Wisconsin over three days in the ACC/B1G challenge. On a day where the weather was "downright sad" according to the box score, the Cards' short win streak was ended by an Illini team that jumped on Alyssa Zabala early and kept the pressure on for the remainder of the game.

With Taylor Roby being rested for a start in today's double-header, Zabala started in the circle with Louisville playing as the home team. She got off to a good start, picking up a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Unfortunately, Zabala's counter in the game, Tori McQueen, would get off to a good start and then some. After a two-pitch groundout by Easton Lotus, Paige Geraghty struck out. McQueen hit Korbe Otis with a pitch, and Otis stole second, but a second strikeout sat down Roby and ended the threat. The second inning saw another great inning from Zabala as she struck out the side. Unfortunately, there was a minor blip amongst the strikeouts, as Illini's 5-hole hitter took a 1-2 pitch over the fence in right center. 

Down 1-0, Louisville looked to strike back quickly. A bunt single was followed by a single that just escaped the infield and another HBP to give Louisville the bases loaded with nobody out. With this golden opportunity, Louisville achieved one of the rare negative feats in the diamond sports: they didn't score off of it. In fact, Louisville's inability to score is even more painful than you might imagine, as the next three batters did not strike out and every out was scored individually. Instead, Louisville hit back-to-back infield pop-ups, the first on a full count, to flip the situation squarely in the favor of the Illini, who now just needed an out anyway possible to keep Louisville off the board. Lotus obliged with a first pitch fly ball to center field to end the inning. Two hits, no strikeouts, three left on base. Ouch.

Nevertheless, Zabala returned to the circle in the top of the third intent on keeping Louisville in the game. After a foul out and a ground out, though, Illinois strung together a double and an RBI single before Zabala got her fifth strikeout of the game to end the inning. Louisville now trailed 2-0. Unlike the previous inning, Louisville's threat was short-lived. Geraghty singled to open the frame, but was caught flat footed when Otis popped up (perhaps on a bunt; it's not listed) to the pitcher. McQueen fired over to first to pick up the double play and Roby grounded out to end the inning. 

In the fourth, things came unglued. It started just like the previous inning had ended, with Zabala picking up another strikeout (six in ten batters, for those keeping track). After a single and a sacrifice bunt, it looked like Louisville would stay in it. Like the previous inning, though, Illinois took advantage of their runner in scoring position with two outs. It was a single this time, coming on the third 0-2 pitch, but the hit was deep enough for the runner, who was going on contact, to make it home. With the batter advancing to second, an error on the following play (on the 9th!! pitch) kept the inning alive and put runners on the corners. After a passed ball, a double scored two unearned runs to end Zabala's day. Gabby Holloway took the circle and, in honor of the strong performance by Zabala, struck out the third batter to end the inning.

Louisville responded to going down by more than a grand slam with another quiet inning, splitting a pair of pop outs with a single and a strikeout. The top of the fifth inning saw a lead-off single score despite the next four batters technically grounding out. A sacrifice bunt moved the runner to second while a productive ground out advanced her to third. As the grounders went around the horn (1B fielded the first and 2B fielded the second) the grounder to third resulted in a throwing error, scoring an unearned run. Keeping the pattern alive, the next batter grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning. 

In the bottom half, down 6-0, Louisville was sent down in order once more. Nothing spectacular happened in the inning, but a weird quirk is in the box score. Ally Alexander is listed as "out at first p to 2b to 1b". Without having seen this play, I can't describe what happened, and my brain can't quite decide what might have resulted in that scoring. Either way, the result was an out, but I just thought you might find it interesting like me. In the top of the sixth, Louisville retired Illinois in a 1-2-3 inning for the first time since the opening frame. After a grounder to third, Holloway struck out two on seven pitches to prevent the Illini from pursuing a run-rule.

The sixth inning saw Louisville's bats get to work a bit, although it was much too late for small ball. A full count single by Otis was followed by a Taylor Roby walk. Since the line was BFBBB, I think it may be safe to say that Illinois was just trying to prevent a big hit and Roby fouled one away. Roby was replaced by a pinch runner, and Daisy Hess advanced both runners with a single down the left field line. Otis scored on the play to get Louisville on the board, but Madison Winkler was held at second. That turned out to be impactful, as Sarah Gordon rocketed a liner straight to third base. The line drive was quickly returned to second to double up Winkler, who couldn't get back in time. Vanessa Miller grounded out to end the inning with Louisville trailing 6-1. 

Having held Illinois for the most part, Holloway was pulled to preserve for future games on the weekend as Taja Felder replaced her to open the seventh. It was an inauspicious start for Felder, as she gave up a second pitch single followed by a first pitch single. The defense came to her rescue, though, as the next two batters grounded into force outs at third base. With runners on first and second and two outs, Felder induced another grounder, this time to third base where Alexander stepped on the bag for herself. Down to their last three outs and needing five runs to tie, Louisville produced their third 1-2-3 offensive inning of the afternoon. Final score 6-1.

The Cards won't have much time to lick their wounds, as they're back in action starting at 10AM today. Louisville will face Wisconsin in the first game, before getting a rematch against Illinois at 12:30. Illinois, by the way, moved to 3-3 with their win over Louisville, but their three previous losses were to Tennessee (13th), Texas (6th), and Auburn (21st). They could turn out to be a strong team, but Louisville will get a chance to level the score this afternoon. Wisconsin should give Louisville the opportunity to get back on track. While two of their losses are to #24 Oregon and #23 Ole Miss, Wisconsin's first win of the season came yesterday against Georgia Tech after the Badgers started 0-4. Their other two losses were to BYU and California Baptist. Despite today's games being hosted by Georgia Tech, they won't be carried on ACC Network Extra, so check out tomorrow's recaps by Jeff.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

This week's show should be quite full as we have the big lacrosse win from Sunday to cover as well as the softball happenings and the... unfortunate... events in South Bend Thursday evening. We'll do our best to keep it light, though you might plan for some officiating rants. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

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Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Splits Double-Header with Georgia Tech -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards Win Game 1 but Drop Game 2 in Extras

In a late decision made by the two teams, this weekend's schedule was adjusted to try to account for future weather. Yesterday became a double-header day on such late notice that the ACCNX could not carry the second game. I'm pretty sure all you have to do is push a button to make the stream go live, and we know the infrastructure was there because the first game was aired, but that is the reason that was given for the game being unaired. So it goes. 

In the first game, the Cards got started early. Carmyn Greenwood opened with an infield single. Celene Funke knocked a ball into right field to make it back-to-back hits, but Greenwood was thrown out trying to stretch from first to third. Funke, fortunately, was able to make it up to second to at least keep a runner in scoring position. Unlike much of the rest of the season, Louisville was finally able to take advantage with RISP, as Taylor Roby stepped in and blooped a third straight single into left. Funke turned on the jets to get home and the Cards led 1-0. A fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the inning.

After helping her own cause in the top half, Roby came out in the bottom of the first and went to work from the circle. That first inning saw just one runner reach on a two-out walk. A groundout ended the inning. Through six innings, Roby was extremely effective, allowing a total of five baserunners. The biggest GT threat came in the sixth, when they put a pair of runners on base, but a double play ended the inning. 

In the midst of Roby's great start, Louisville's offense decided after a couple of quiet innings that they didn't want to stop after just one run. In the fourth, the Cards woke back up. Roby led off with a walk and was pinch run for by Jordyn Wolfe. A popup gave the Cards one out but they wouldn't be deterred. Wolfe stole second and then reached third on a wild pitch. Taryn Weddle grounded in the infield and GT tried to make the play at home, but Wolfe was too quick. Weddle reached first on an RBI fielder's choice. Charley Butler stepped into the box and pulled a 1-2 pitch down the left field line and over the fence for a two-run homer. Rebecca Chung flew out, but a pair of two-out singles chased the Georgia Tech starter, bringing in a new pitcher for the turnover of the Louisville order. Carmyn Greenwood welcomed the new pitcher to the field with a two-RBI double, before Funke grounded out to end the inning. Louisville led 6-0.

It was good that the Cards decided to add some insurance. I mentioned that Roby was excellent through six innings because it was the seventh where things got dicey. The Louisville defense opened the bottom of the seventh with an error and Roby followed that with a walk to put a pair of runners on. Concerning, but not too much threat, since Louisville had a six run lead. A popup and a strikeout tamped down concerns even more as the Cards were now one out away from closing the game out. Georgia Tech wasn't ready to quit yet, though. A single loaded the bases and Roby plunked the next batter to score an unearned run. Left fielder Cameron Stanford (not a friendly last name for Cards fans at the moment) then stepped in and crushed a two-out grand slam. All four RBI were unearned thanks to that opening error, but unearned runs count the same on the scoreboard. It was now 6-5. Coach Aprile made the decision to bring on Gabby Holloway to secure the last out, which she did with some effort, inducing a full-count groundout. Cards win 6-5.

In the second game, it was the Yellow Jackets who decided to score a first inning run. Holloway, already warm from her save, got the start in game two. The Cards opened the game by going down in order, but not before giving the GT pitcher some work. Despite just three batters coming to the plate, Louisville forced Blake Neleman to throw 19 first inning pitches. Those 19 ultimately wouldn't make too much difference for Neleman, as she would go on to throw 145 total as she pitched a complete 11-inning game.

Holloway walked the first batter for GT, who would end up being the only baserunner of the inning. Fortunately for GT, they didn't need other baserunners to score her. Louisville was unable to successfully "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" on the next batter as Roper stole second. Roper used her speed to impressively advance to third on a groundout to the left side, and came home on a two-out passed ball. A groundout ended the inning with the Techsters ahead 1-0.

Both pitchers continued their impressive game, each allowing only a couple of base runners as the innings wore on. In the fourth, Louisville took advantage of the fact that one of those baserunners was Celene Funke. Funke opened the inning with a triple, but was very nearly stranded. Fortunately, a pair of popups were split by a groundout, which was productive enough to send the speedy center fielder home. Louisville tied it at one.

I would say neither team would threaten again until the seventh, but that would only be partially true. Louisville didn't threaten in the top half as much as they just acted. Roby led off the inning with a home run to give the Cards a 2-1 lead, but the rest of the order couldn't manage more than a single to end the inning. Still, it was enough to give the Cards a late chance to win.

Unfortunately, Georgia Tech had some more seventh inning luck in store. The Jackets opened with a single, and the next batter hit the ball right back to Holloway. Her throw was errant, allowing runners to stand on first and third with nobody out. Jenn Leonhardt came on to pitch. Another passed ball scored the tying run and put the winning run on second base before Leonhardt picked up three straight outs to end the inning. Free softball time. 

Neleman continued her dominance in the circle, holding Louisville to no more than one baserunner per inning. Two of those were Taylor Roby, both on walks, as the Yellow Jackets did not want to pitch to her anymore. To her credit, Leonhardt was able to match Neleman's effort for a few innings. Unfortunately, the eleventh inning put an end to that. Roper reached on an error to open the inning, but that baserunner wouldn't matter as Stanford fouled off a pair of two-strike pitches before sending the next one over the left field fence. Walk-off winner.

Louisville and Georgia Tech are scheduled to continue the weekend series tonight at 7PM, a first pitch time that was just announced this morning. Tonight's game will be carried on the ACCNX. Louisville would really like to pick up a couple of more wins in this series before the schedule gets tough again over the next couple of weeks.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

We're back again this week with plenty to discuss as always. The condensed seasons have kept us busy this winter and spring, and that hasn't ended just because basketball season wrapped up. We'll talk field hockey, lacrosse, and softball, while also touching on news from basketball and the NCAA Volleyball Tournament draw. We might even have another rant about NCAA inequities as the organization couldn't make it a month without stepping in it once more. Tune in to the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel at 11AM for the live show, or check out the rebroadcast or podcast following the show's ending.

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH-