Louisville Softball falls to UK 2-1....Walz press conference Thursday...Lacrosse faces Notre Dame -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

AFTER RAIN DELAY, CARDS GO ASTRAY IN LOSS TO UK

One out away from victory, the UofL softball team self-imploded upon itself after a 54 minute rain delay Thursday night at Ulmer Stadium...giving up a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning to Kentucky and losing 2-1.


As the teams took to the field after the delay, the stadium P.A. system blared the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck". Eerily, it was a foreshadowing of what was about to happen to Sandy Pearsall's squad. 

When lightning halted the action, the Cards were in a prime position to add to the 1-0 lead. Pinch-runner Tiarra Sanabria occupied third base...subbing for Maryssa Becker who had reached base on a walk. Pinch-runner Jessica Adell stood on second...running for Megan Hensley who had smashed a double to right-center. There was one out and Nicole Pufahl stood at the plate working the count on UK pitcher Kelsey Nunley. It was looking very promising for UofL...but facilities manager Ray Bronger called a conference with the coaches and umpires to inform them of a lightning strike seven miles away from the stadium. Out came the tarp, out of the seats went the fans and the rain delay began. 

When action resumed, Nunley got Pufahl to line out to UK shortshop Christian Stokes but Brittany Sims drew a base on balls to load the bags full of Cardinals. Nunley got out of the jam by getting Jordan McNary to ground out. 

It had been McNary, in the bottom of the second, who had driven in the lone run of the game...tripling to right-center to score Sims. 

The Cards took the field in the top of the seventh needing just three outs to end the contest. Three UK hits and a couple of costly Louisville fielding errors allowed the Cats to put up two runs and send the Cards to the bottom of the seventh down 2-1. 

A dropped throw with two outs...blowing a routine step-on-the-base put-out and game ending play. A passed ball that allowed the eventual winning run to advance to third. Crucial errors that gave UK's Brooklin Hinz the chance to get an RBI single.

Such is the game of softball. Such is the heartbreak of athletics at times. 

The Cards went down in order in the bottom of the seventh and just as suddenly as it seemed the Cards would take a win...it was over and the Cats (40-11) were headed back to Fayette County with the "W". Credit Nunley with a strong effort in the circle...allowing just four Louisville hits while striking out seven. Hats off to Becker for pitching out of jams in the third and sixth innings when Cats were perched and second and third. She struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth when danger presented itself.

Lament the costly miscues from a nervous Cardinal squad one out away from a win.

And, as if tears from heaven were being released in sorrow and frustration over the Cards loss...the rain came in with a driving frenzy a mere few minutes after Sandy Pearsall explained to the media how this one got away. 

"We made mistakes and mental mistakes and that's what cost us the game," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "We just didn't make the plays that we needed to make and that's something that has plagued us all year. I thought Maryssa Becker did a good job out there, she may have allowed some hits, but she got some crucial outs when we needed her to."

Coach also had a few other comments about the loss that we'll play on our highly acclaimed radio show...THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR on Saturday.

Win some, lose some...sure...but the Cards gift-wrapped and put a bow around this one for Kentucky Wednesday night.

The Cards (32-11) will find a way to put this one behind them...they must...with two series awaiting with top 20 foes Notre Dame and Florida State and the ACC Tournament.

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WALZ TO ADDRESS MEDIA TODAY AT 11:30

Louisville head women's basketball coach Jeff Walz will hold a press conference to review the 2015-16 season tomorrow on the UofL campus. 

We'll have the report on it in the Friday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE and play the audio in it's entirety on our Saturday broadcast on WCHQ 100.9 FM -- THE CARDINAL COUPLE RADIO HOUR. 

We expect the Coach will cover a few other things as well...

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LACROSSE FACING NOTRE DAME IN ACC TOURNAMENT TONIGHT

Kellie Young's LAX squad has the final game in the first day of action for the ACC Championships in Blacksburg, VA on the Virginia Tech campus.

Louisville, the #6 seed, faces #3 seed Notre Dame. The Cards defeated the Irish during the regular season 10-9 at the Louisville Lacrosse Stadium. 

The Cards (12-4) go into the tournament with two straight losses...both close games...to Virginia and at Syracuse. 


UofL will look to seniors and All-ACC selections Kaylin Morissette and Cortnee Daley to get them back on the winning track and to the semi-finals of the championships.

Game time at (or around) 7:30 p.m. and it can be watched on ESPN3.

paulie
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Cards v Cats Softball -- Round II...Tuesday Cardinal Couple

CARDS LOOK TO BREAK FOUR GAME LOSING STREAK AGAINST UK TONIGHT

If the University of Louisville Softball team shows up at John Cropp Stadium in galoshes, rain slickers and carrying umbrellas...you really can't blame them. Three out of the last four scheduled games for the Hit and Pitch Cards have been cancelled due to rain. 

Fortunately, the weather forecast for Lexington tonight is rain-free with highs in the mid 60's. Should be a beautiful night for softball against #14 UK and the Cards should be well rested.



They'll need every advantage they can muster...the Wildcats have won the last four outings against UofL. Last time out, the Cards were shut out in Ulmer Stadium on April Fools Day 4-0. A game that was scoreless through four innings in a pitchers' duel between Maryssa Becker and UK's Kelsey Nunley. A three-run homer was the blast that sent Louisville to defeat. Louisville left seven runners on the bags in the contest while suffering only their third shutout of the season.

Louisville got in one game of a planned three against Ole Miss earlier this week in Oxford, MS. They fell to the Rebs 5-2...Kayla Soles' two-run blast the offense for UofL (24-14).

Leading the way at the plate for Sandy Pearsall's club this year is Kelsi Jones with a .386 batting average and Jordan McNary follows with a .378 success rate. Maryssa Becker has a 10-5 record from the circle and freshman Shelby McCombs has eight wins in twelve decisions. 

We hope to get another matchup in the circle between Becker and Nunley...but the Cards will need to find a way to get some runs across the plate against the 11-11 hurler who has fanned 126 batters. The Cats are 28-16 on the season and dropped two out of three last time out against South Carolina. 

This one will be shown on the SEC Network+ (which we understand is available on digital TV). Game time is 6 p.m. and will also be detailed on UKAthletics.com gametracker.
Both schools will keep you in the know on Twitter as well.

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ROBERSON VISITS CARDS


While Jude Schimmel was autographing books Sunday, Jeff Walz was busy seeking an autograph of his own...hoping that Colorado transfer Arielle Roberson would find the UofL campus to her liking during a visit...she's also touring Purdue and West Virginia. 

A two-time All Big 12 honorable mention...Roberson will technically be a fifth-year senior but might possibly have two years of eligibility left due to missing time with an ACL injury. Others say just one year...we say let's get her here first and then work on the time-frame. 

The 6'1" forward could add some depth to the projected Cards front line in 2015-16. With Cortnee Walton, Emmonnie Henderson, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Syd Brackemyer returning (two out of the four sat out 2014-15 with injuries) and Erin DeGrate and Sam Fuehring hitting campus...there are a few questions about how effective this group might be. A seasoned, veteran paint-dweller could be a welcome addition to a team that does appear to have plenty of fire power at guard and the wing spots. 

Word also gets to us that Christian Academy's China Dow is leaving MTSU and former Jeff Walz camper Haley Bodnar has departed from Purdue. Tis the season for changing address...



paulie
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