Softball Heats Up at UIC -- Kianna Smith Waived by Sparks -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Offense Gets Hot Against UIC

In their final regular season midweek game of the year, Louisville went to Chicago to take on the UIC Flames. Despite their nickname, it was actually UofL who was red hot as the Cards won 12-3.

Louisville wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. Carmyn Greenwood led off with a bunt. She was later called out at second on a fielder's choice that saw Korbe Otis safe at first. Otis reached second on a fielder's choice and raced home on a blooper single by Kendall Smith later in the inning.

The Cards added a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Dylann Cravens found a way to get on base, reached second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a single by Vanessa Miller, and scored on a wild pitch. Miller was able to take second on that same wild pitch and would touch home moments later when Jenna Servi sent a single to center field.

UIC was able to piece together a couple hits in the bottom half of the fourth inning to silence any talks of a shutout, but it seemed to have angered the Louisville offense.

The Cards blew this game open in the fifth inning with a four spot. Timely walks and hits loaded the bases in time for Miller to rope a hit down the right field line. It was officially scored as a three-run triple with Miller scoring on an error on the relay from the outfield to the catcher. It appeared she would've been safe at home either way, so it's an inside-the-park grand slam in my book.

UIC loaded the bases with two outs in the back end of the sixth inning but Louisville was able to limit the damage to just two runs and maintain a comfortable a 7-3 lead.

The Cards continued to pound on runs in the sixth inning. Smith was a few feet shy of a grand slam, but plated Greenwood and Otis.

Roby launched a three-run home run to dead center in the seventh inning. It was her 15th homer of the season, a team-high and a career-high. The three rbis gives her 45 on the season, also a team-high and career-high.

Sam Booe would close out the game in the circle in the final two innings without allowing a run. It was not a save situation.

Taylor Roby got the start in the circle and earned her 15th win of the season, a career-high for the senior. Her 46 career wins is eighth-best in program history. With three strikeouts in the circle, Roby now has 299 career strikeouts, eighth-best in program history.

Roby is also flirting with some season and career stats at the plate. The program record for home runs in a single season is 17. Roby needs to two to tie. The program record for career home runs is 42. She needs two to tie. She is eighth all-time in walks with 81. She was sixth in career program slugging percentage at .586 going into last night's game.

Greenwood is also on base for some high-ranking stats for UofL single season and career records. She has 17 doubles on the year, three shy off the single-season record. Going into last night's game Greenwood had a .415 batting average on the season and .415 average in her career at Louisville. If those hold true, she would finish fourth for batting average in a single season and first in career batting average. She also had an .868 slugging percentage on the year and a .668 slugging percentage in her career. Those would put her second in single season slugging percentage and first in career slugging percentage. She is also high up on the on base percentage record books.

To make sure I'm reading the correct records and to make sure my numbers are adding up on everything, I have a request in with the sports information director for softball, Lori Korte Harmon. The season also isn't over so things are subject to change. If and when some players set some records, we will gladly report on it here.

Next on the schedule for Holly Aprile's squad is a three-game series at #20 Notre Dame to close out the regular season. The Cards have clinched a spot in the 10-team ACC Tournament and currently sit seventh in the conference, but are considered a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament.

( A special THANKS! to Ryan Greenwood, father of Louisville Softball student-athletes Carmyn and Cassidy Greenwood, for the Softball photos from the UIC game !) 

Kianna Smith Waived by LA Sparks

In a rather surprising move, the LA Sparks waived Kianna Smith yesterday. The Louisville alum was one of three players that saw their time with LA come to a quick end.

Smith joins Jazmine Jones as former Cards who were waived in the days leading up to the start of the WNBA.

With a limited budget and rather poor salary caps (compared to the NBA), teams are forced to make tough decisions that often leads to strong players and newly drafted players let go prematurely.

The WNBA season begins tomorrow.

Horserace Season in Louisville

Thurby and Cinco de Mayo falling on the same day is dangerous. Or a big money maker if you're Churchill Downs. The racetrack will certainly benefit from the alcohol sales as well as happy betters. Still not as big as the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, Thurby has gone from a day for locals into another day into the stretched Derby season.

The Kentucky Oaks post time is set for Friday at 5:51. The Kentucky Derby post time is set for Saturday at 6:57.

We don't cover horseracing here at Cardinal Couple, but we do gladly participate in the seasonal celebrations.

 

If you're interested in betting, I highly recommend you check out Paulie's handicapping site this weekend (Paulie PICKS) . If you lose some money you can always send him the bill, but you might get an unkind gesture in return.

LINK TO PAULIE PICKS:  PAULIE PICKS

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Walks Off -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Beats Virginia in Game 1

In the opening game of Louisville softball's Senior Weekend, the Cards showed that they still have some fight as they try to finish the season with some momentum and potentially make enough noise in the ACC tournament to find an NCAA bid. A win last weekend would have gone a long way, but they came up just short on all three occasions against the Hokies. After a sweep against Syracuse and then being swept by Virginia Tech, the Cards found themselves two games below .500 in conference, but a big weekend against Virginia can put them in a position to finish .500 with a split against Notre Dame in the final series of the regular season next week.

All of those hopes and dreams depend on winning games this weekend, which Louisville did in dramatic fashion yesterday. The first inning started off pedestrian enough, with a pair of groundouts induced by Taylor Roby, but back-to-back singles gave UVA a chance at an opening frame run. Fortunately, Roby was able to get a popout to end the inning. Once the teams changed sides, Carmyn Greenwood worked a full-count walk to get on base as the leadoff. Korbe Otis made an out that I can't quite parse from the box score: "Otis grounded out to c unassisted (0-2)". I'm not sure if she bunted on two strikes or what, but I haven't seen a player ground out to the catcher and get tagged out and a popout would usually be noted. 

At any rate, Greenwood stole second with one out, and an errant throw sent her to third, putting the Cards in prime position. That would be where her trek around the bases would end, though, as Roby struck out and the passed ball wasn't enough to score the run, and Kendall Smith popped a foul ball to first base. Roby hasn't been missing many bats lately, and that came to pass again yesterday, as she finished the complete game without striking out any Cavaliers. Putting balls in play can be very beneficial for an offense, as Virginia showed in the second inning. A walk to open the inning was erased by a fielder's choice, but a runner remained at first. A slow grounder to third gave the Cards two outs, but they couldn't make the lead play at second. With a runner on second and two outs, a single to left seemed innocuous at first, but Greenwood booted it in the outfield and both runners advanced. With a run in hand, the next batter sent a single up the middle to score a speedy runner from second, and Louisville trailed 2-0. A flyout ended the inning.

The Cards didn't bite back immediately, as three fly/pop outs were split by a Vanessa Miller single to coast through the second quickly. Roby was much more efficient in the third inning. Despite still getting the ball in play, Virginia was able to only eke out a pair of groundouts and a popout. Jenna Servi opened the bottom of the third with a triple, and Greenwood made up for her error in the previous inning with a first pitch RBI single. After Otis flew out and Roby lined out, it looked like the Cards would only get one back, but Kendall Smith came up with her first big hit of the evening, a double that brought Greenwood around to tie it. Not content with the tie, Hannah File doubled as well and the Cards led 3-2 after a flyout ended the inning. 

Another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth brought Louisville back to the plate and they were handed a golden opportunity to extend their lead. Vanessa Miller reached on an error to open the inning, and Maddi Grant did the same, with both players advancing an extra base. With runners on second and third and no outs, Louisville promptly followed with two pop outs and a groundout to end the inning. That missed opportunity looked like it would immediately haunt the Cards as Virginia regained the lead in the fifth. A walk to open the inning seemed like it would be dealt with after two quick outs, but a steal and another walk set up a two-RBI triple with two outs. Down 4-3, the Cards really would have liked to score when given the chance.

The next four half innings seemed as though both teams had finally settled in, and Louisville's chances were dwindling. They sent seven batters to the plate and saw six of them sit down immediately, as a sacrifice bunt in the sixth didn't help to bring the tying run around. Virginia put a few runners on base, but didn't threaten as much as in previous innings, and Louisville was set up for one last chance in the bottom of the seventh. With the top of the order up, the Cards had the best chance they were going to get, and the leadoff group came through. Greenwood opened with a single and Otis followed with a four-pitch walk. Virginia changed pitchers with the tying run at second, and the new entrant induced a groundout from Taylor Roby. Though that gave them one out, it was a productive out, as it moved both runners up. Kendall Smith took advantage and her second big hit of the night won the game, as a single to left scored both runners.

Louisville will get a chance to move to .500 in conference this afternoon in game two of the series. The game will get underway at 4PM and is available to watch on ACCN if you don't want to get out into the beautiful afternoon at Ulmer. After yesterday's game, Jared got the opportunity to chat with the game winner. Check out the interview with Kendall Smith below. 

Kendall Smith Post-Game

(PHOTOS BY JARED ANDERSON)

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour PODCAST

Another place to hear the interview should be today's Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast. I'm out this week, but the rest of the crew should bring a great show. As we wrap up the spring seasons, we are approaching the summer slump, but there's always something for us to ramble on about. 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! Paulie, Jeff, Jared and Daryl on board today for the podcast/ 

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Breaker: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

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RadioPublic: Link

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Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Photos in today's article by Jared Anderson. You'll notice many of the players wearing purple bows and eye black. This is in honor and remembrance of the JMU softball player who lost her life recently. Her number is also honored in the batter's box this weekend. Hannah File transferred to Louisville from JMU.

Softball Falls at VT; Lacrosse on Thunder -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Loses Series Opener 4-3

Louisville softball is in Blacksburg this weekend taking on one of their highest-ranked opponents of the season, and they opened the weekend with a very strong performance. Though they may have missed out on their biggest opportunity to steal a win from the #3 Hokies, Louisville showed great determination and held on tight for the entire game. 

It was an inauspicious start for the Cards, who went 3-up, 3-down in the top half of the inning on just 9 pitches (pop-out and 2K, nearly an immaculate inning), but Roby rewarded them with three groundouts in the bottom half. Unfortunately, those three groundouts were precluded by a leadoff single and a walk, and the Hokies were able to make use of the productive outs to score a run. 

After another 1-2-3 offensive inning, Roby was on the ropes again after a 1-out double put two runners in scoring position. Fortunately, Virginia Tech didn't have a speedster on the paths, as a double will frequently score a runner from first in softball, and the Cards were able to make a play at the plate on the ensuing grounder. Another groundout ended the inning, and Louisville held onto a tenuous 1-0 deficit. 

That deficit was erased in the top of the third as Vanessa Miller opened the inning with a homer to straightaway center. After Ally Alexander struck out, Jenna Servi attempted to continue the good vibes with a triple, but the top of the order was unable to bring her in, as Carmyn Greenwood kept her bat on her shoulder to watch a strikeout and Korbe Otis flew out to center. Nevertheless, Louisville had tied the game. In the bottom half, Roby continued to work the defense and keep the ball out of the air. Though the pitch count was still climbing, the grounders also helped to keep Roby from being in the circle for too long, as she got out of the third with a groundout, single, and GIDP and moved her pitch count to 48 after three innings. That's still a pretty big number, but considering it's almost half the game and the softball pitch count can climb much higher without doing damage than baseball, it's not too bad. Comparatively, VT's Keely Rochard had 38 pitches through three innings, and she had given up just two hits compared to the four hits and a walk from Roby.

The top of the fourth didn't see Louisville continue their momentum, though, as a HBP put Kendall Smith on base with one out, but she stood out there for only four pitches while Louisville followed the HBP with a three-pitch strikeout and a first pitch popout. The bottom of the inning saw Virginia Tech ready to get their lead back. An eight-pitch walk opened the frame, and a steal following a flyout put the runner in scoring position. Putting runners in scoring position is a good way to win games, as a single brought the runner home. Smelling blood in the water, VT went for a pinch-runner with one out, but the aggressive attempt backfired when Louisville completed a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double-play, with Kendall Smith firing the ball to Ally Alexander for the tag. In those situations, we say thank you to the batter for watching the third strike and not slowing down the catcher with a swing.

With the lead once more, Rochard was inspired, and she struck out the side to show it. It wasn't easy, though, as all three batters worked the count. What could have theoretically been done in nine pitches took Rochard 22, with Alexander working an 11-pitch at bat. While we can't see whether she swung at pitches out of the zone in the at bat (she almost certainly did), she didn't watch any in the zone either. She took three balls and fouled off six pitches, including four money pitches on the full count. Unfortunately, the second of her two whiffs in the at bat was the third strike, but it was an impressive plate appearance. 

Once again, putting runners in scoring position paid off. The Hokies opened the inning with a double, and the runner advanced to third on a flyout. A walk gave the Cards a double-play opportunity, but the unusual FBFBFBB pitch sequence shows it wasn't intentional. It's unusual because she made contact with every pitch she swung at, but every pitch she didn't was a ball. You don't see that every day. Anyway, the runner on third actually didn't hurt Louisville, as a charging Jenna Servi snuffed out the suicide squeeze bunt attempt and Louisville found themselves in a much more advantageous position with runners on first and second but two outs. Unfortunately, a single up the middle was more damaging than the name suggests, as the runners advanced two bases and VT's lead extended by a run. A foul-out ended the inning with the Hokies holding a (now) 3-1 lead.

The top of the order finally came alive in the sixth, with Greenwood and Otis opening the inning with back-to-back doubles to recoup a run, but Rochard tightened the belt again, striking out the next three batters to strand Otis at second and to hold on to the lead. A single opened the bottom half of the inning, and a pinch-hit double scored the run to continue the seesaw of the 1-2 run advantage. Roby managed to return the favor from the top half and strand the runner at second but Louisville was down to their last scheduled plate appearance and trailed by two runs. With the bottom third of the order up, Louisville would usually not like their chances, but the bottom third had just as many hits as the top third in this one going into the seventh so anything could happen.

The Cards fears looked to be realized when they opened the inning with a pair of popups to dig a major hole. Down to their last out and needing two runs, the Cards dug in. Refusing Rochard the time to get settled in, Alexander and Servi were both first pitch swinging, each grabbing a single. Greenwood watched a pair of balls, presumably Rochard reacting and trying to get an easy out with an aggressive swing, before sending the third pitch down the left field line. Unfortunately for the Cards, the left fielder had it well defended, and, while Alexander scored, Servi could only advance to second. That set up Korbe Otis, who got down to her final strike before also sending a ball down to left field. Again, it was well defended, and Jenna Servi was tagged out at the plate trying to score the tying run. Louisville fell 4-3. 

It was a valiant effort, and a different outcome at the plate would have brought Roby up with Greenwood representing the go-ahead run at second. I don't blame the Cards for sending Servi, as  even though bringing Roby in with the bases loaded usually sounds quite threatening, but Rochard had not been particularly rattled on the day. That was especially true for Roby, who was 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts to that point. We'll never know what might have happened with Roby at the plate and the tying run at third, as VT surely wouldn't have intentionally walked that run in, but aggressiveness very often pays off. 

The Cards will get another shot today, with game two of the series getting underway at 2PM. Today's game will be on ACCNX, with tomorrow's noon finale getting the ACCN treatment. Louisville will look to stay at or above .500 in conference this weekend, which they can do if they can manage a split in these two games.

Lacrosse Hosts Notre Dame

Today is Senior Day for the Louisville lacrosse team, and they'll host the Fighting Irish from South Bend in Cardinal Stadium. The game starts at noon and the Senior Day festivities will happen before the opening draw. The Thunder Over Louisville Air Show isn't set to begin until 3PM, so you'd have plenty of time to get down to the Waterfront after the match if you wanted to turn out. Notably, the only way to access Cardinal Stadium for the game will be via Gate 2 on the Floyd Street side of the stadium, so keep that in mind as you make your way over.

Honored today will be seven players, a student assistant coach, and a manager. The players include the Blalock sisters, who are tied for the most games played in program history at 76. Caroline has been a captain throughout her time on the team, while Sarah holds a 55-54 advantage in games started. The two will be greatly missed. Also suiting up in Louisville for the last time are Hannah Morris and Paige Richbourg. Hannah was the 11th player to score 100 career goals for the Cards and Paige ranks 9th in program history in draw controls. Seniors Kirsten Parker and Abby Roskovich and RS Junior Kristen Pezzullo will also be honored, as will Kelly Coughlan and Courtney Jackson, the aforementioned coach and manager.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

After a much needed week off last week, I'll be back this week for the show, and we'll try to avoid critical recording failures. Such are the joys of internet broadcasting. This weeks show will cover the week that was in Louisville Women's Athletics, both on and off the field. There will be three of us to cover it, a throwback to the basement days on the hill. 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

Breaker: 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

Spring Seasons Underway -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Splits Games on Opening Day

If you had high expectations for this year's Louisville softball team, you may find that they took a step toward meeting those expectations when they opened the season yesterday. The Cards started the day by knocking off top-25 Ole Miss 4-2 before dropping what was a close game for 5.5 innings to Baylor, who was also receiving votes.

Cards Jump Out Early, Hold on to Win 4-2 over Ole Miss

The day started with a first pitch to the Cards at 12:00 PM, and it didn't take too long for Louisville to get the season started offensively. The first inning was quiet for both teams, but Taylor Roby sent a shot over the left field fence in the top of the second to support her own pitching effort. Ole Miss answered back in the bottom half, and the teams went into the top of the third tied at 1. Things got a little squirrelly then, as the Cards would score two in the inning. The first came on a double steal that sent Jenna Servi to second and Charley Butler home, and the second came when Servi scored on a Carmyn Greenwood infield single. 

With Roby shutting down Ole Miss for most of the game, the 3-1 lead looked like it might be enough. Caitlin Ferguson added some insurance with a home run of her own in the top of the sixth to make it 4-1. Ole Miss didn't go down without a fight, though. They rallied in the bottom of the seventh to score a run and then load the bases with one out. At that point, Roby was relieved by Chardonnay Harris, who shut down the rally without allowing any more runs. 4-2 was the final and the Cards had opened the 2020 season with a win over a ranked opponent.

Louisville Can't Hold on After Back-and-Forth Game, Falls 7-4 to Baylor

The second game seemed poised to have a similar feel. Getting underway just 45 minutes after the previous game finished, the Cards hardly had time to catch their breath. Just like the first game, the first inning went by without much ado. This time it was Harris getting the start in the circle, and she opened this game just how she closed the first. Louisville once again struck first, scoring on an error and a groundout to lead 2-0. Baylor, like Ole Miss, answered with a run of their own, but the Cards took a 2-1 lead into the third. Roby found her way around the bases in the top of the third after a walk led to a run and the Cards were up 3-1.

Unfortunately, the wheels fell off a bit defensively in the bottom of the third and two hits, three walks, and an error led to three runs for the Bears. Louisville trailed for the first time this season at 4-3 after three. Familiar names tied the game, when Celene Funke hit a triple (you don't say?) and was brought home by a Caitlin Ferguson RBI single in the top of the fourth. That would be the end of Louisville's scoring, though, as the Cards would go on to drop this one 7-4. Baylor used four hits and an error to take the three run lead in the bottom of the sixth and the Cards were unable to answer with any runs in the seventh.

Louisville is back in action today with another pair of tough matchups. The Cards open with Texas State at 10AM before drawing Mississippi State at 3. With just the matchup against Missouri tomorrow, let's see if the Diamond Cards can't escape the weekend with a 4-1 record.

Lacrosse Opens Season with Cincinnati Tomorrow

Scott Teeter's team is ready to get underway in his third season at the helm as the Cards prepare to take on regional rival Cincinnati. The Bearcats were the first opponent of Teeter's Louisville tenure and the Cards won that first matchup 15-9. Louisville is 12-0 all time in the series against Cincinnati, but the Cards are coming off of a 5-13 season while the Bearcats went 12-7 (4-1) last year.

Louisville, of course, won the head-to-head matchup last year. The Cards will look to get back on track, from a program standpoint,  this season with a victory in the opener. Tomorrow's game starts at 1PM and will be available on BearcatsTV (link).

Paulie and Jared are headed up I-71 to take in the action. Expect a post-game interview with head coach Teeter and Jared photos in the Monday Cardinal Couple. 

Reflecting on the Loss of Gigi Bryant

I've been grappling with how to write this and whether or not I even should, but I decided I wanted to put my thoughts out there. I do not want to come off as uncaring or disrespectful in anyway. Let me preface this with a couple of items. First, I am not the biggest follower of women's basketball. I keep up with Louisville women's basketball (with a bit less fervor than the other writers here), and I have a high elevation view of the sport at large via my obsession with sports/Twitter. Second, I did not follow Gigi Bryant's career. Prior to the tragic crash, I could not have told you her name. I knew who she was, as any sports fan who lives on the internet did, because it was impossible to not see Kobe taking in every basketball moment with his daughter that was caught on tape. With that said, I can't stop thinking about the first thing that came to mind when the news of who all was on the helicopter was official and the stories continued to come out.

This was a big loss for women's basketball in general. 

The women's game is still growing. There are, and have been, huge stars in the sport. The list of nearly household names in women's basketball is becoming large enough that I'd be sure to miss someone egregious if I tried to put them all here. However, unfortunately, the realm of women's sports continues to be viewed through the lens of how it relates to men's sports. Countless teams of all sports are associated to their male counterparts, including with team associations at the professional level, and entire women's leagues are compared to the success of men's leagues. That's not the way it should be but it is the reality. 

The Bryants represented an opportunity to bridge that gap. Famously, when Kobe was pushed on when he would have a son to take up his mantle in basketball, Gigi asserted that he didn't need a son because she would fill that role. Kobe waxed poetic about her skill. In hindsight, it is clear to me that Gigi Bryant was going to be the face of the WNBA. As the "W" grows, and pushes for better rights for players and teams, their standing is consistently improving. Bryant's timing would have been perfect, as she would have reached the pinnacle of the sport at the exact moment that the league itself would be poised to explode. Fair or unfair, Kobe's presence would bring even more attention to the sport. 

The loss of Kobe and Gigi (and the other players onboard who were fantastic young players in their own right) is a blow to the game of women's basketball. In a sport where one of the best coaches in the college game has to reply on Twitter to people saying that no one cares (in more unkind words) about women's basketball, star power matters. Women's basketball lost a star far too young, and may have lost a huge opportunity in the process.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour

After a hiccup in scheduling last week, the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour is back on track this week. In fact, we'll be so much back on track that we're coming to you at the original time. Today's show will start at 11AM and can be found directly on the Cardinal Couple YouTube Channel. Be sure to tune in live as we discuss the week in Louisville women's basketball, the opening of softball's season, and more. If you can't catch the show live, be sure to check out the rebroadcast available directly after the show ends. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-CH- 

*Author's note: Please note that my opinions are my own and may not represent the opinion of other writers at Cardinal Couple. I am happy to see disagreement with my views in the comments, but ask that such comments remain respectful.*