Saturday CARDINAL COUPLE - Cards blank DePaul 2-0. Play Notre Dame today for title

.
SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Collins tosses two-hit shutout. CARDS win 2-0


-Okoro breaks school record for discus


-Women's Basketball: The ATayy site and video


DePaul? DeFeated. 

Tori Collins allows just two hits in win.

Next?


Behind the two-hit, complete game pitching of Louisville senior Tori Collins and a key two-out, two RBI double from freshman Kayla Soles -- the Cards softball team advances to the BIG EAST Softball tournament title game today against Notre Dame. 


Louisville gets revenge against the only BIG EAST team to defeat them in the regular season behind the arm of torrid Tori Collins...who struck out six en route to improving her record to 24-1. 


Any questions on who the best pitcher in the BIG EAST is now? 


If so, they might be settled today at 6 p.m. when Louisville could face the selected BIG EAST pitcher of the year in Notre Dame's Laura Winter. The Irish defeated St John's 5-1 yesterday to earn their berth in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game. 


Louisville 2 - DePaul 0

The two squads hooked up in a scoreless battle for the first three innings. When the Cards came up to bat in the top of the fourth, it looked like they may hit the field for the bottom of the fourth still locked in a scoreless battle. The first two Cardinal batters returned to the dugout victims of Kirsten Verdun's strong pitching.


If we've learned anything at all about this Louisville softball team this year, though, it is this:


Never count them out.

Jordan Trimble reached on a single. She advanced to third on a Maggie Ruckenbrod single. Kayla Soles delivered the goods next with a double that brought Trimble and Ruckenbrod home safely. 


2-0 Cards. And that was all Tori Collins needed. 


DePaul threatened in the bottom of the sixth when the first two Blue Demon batters reached base on a single and walk. Maggie Ruckenbrod, though, eliminated Samantha Dodd from second with a pick-off throw to Katie Keller. A fielder's choice grounder sent Verdun to second but Collins got out of the jam when Mary Connolly grounded out to Keller. 


Collins retired the side in order in the seventh to get the win. Louisville got seven hits to go with the two runs against Verdun...who is 26-13 on the year. 


DePaul should get an NCAA bid, by our estimation...so strong sophomore lefty Verdun, who was on the All-BIG EAST First Team, should get at least one more pitching opportunity this year. 

Kirsten Verdun probably isn't done for the year.

Notre Dame today at 6 p.m. It marks the third straight year Louisville has played in the tournament title game...losing to Syracuse in both 2010 and 2011.


We'll have a full recap of the action later tonight. 


A link for the video highlights of yesterday's win below


Cards 2 - DePaul 0


*******************************************


Chinwe Okoro broke a four year record for women's discus at UofL with a throw of 58.25m/191-1 in competition during the Cardinal twilight events yesterday.

She defeats the mark set by Louisville's Jere Summers, who...coincidentally...was on hand to witness the toss. Summers, who has graduated from Louisville, was competing as an individual yesterday... getting in some throws as she tries to qualify for the 2012 Olympic team. She finished second yesterday to Okoro. 


Cards get a couple of weeks off until the NCAA preliminary rounds in Jacksonville


*******************************************


Asia Taylor (ATayy31) has a blog. The Cards spoofing American Idol is worth watching. Link to her site is below.

Good stuff! Go get some...


Link:


ATayy



This is where we check your vision and see how well you can read this
small print. Most of you would probably raise your arms up in the air and
howl in protest if we did the site in print this small each day. We wouldn't
blame you. So, if you got to the end of this, and want to prove to us that
you did...e-mail the words "Afghanistan Bananastand" to us at
cardinalcouple@insightbb.com

.
..
...

Final set for NCAA WBB...Bears vs. Irish

MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-UofL Softball falls to DePaul 3-0


-Notre Dame, Baylor to play Tuesday night for title


-CARDINAL COUPLE Pick 'Em Contest has a couple of scenarios left. 


-Chunky Monkey and other assorted Lady Cards cinema


The University of Louisville softball team finished their three game series against the DePaul Blue Demons with a 3-0 loss Sunday afternoon in Chicago. Kirsten Verdun was the only pitcher to beat Louisville (29-2) this year and she duplicated the feat again Sunday...limiting the Cards to just two hits. 

This one was decided early. By Verdun. After two DePaul players reached on a walk and error in the bottom of the first inning, Verdun cleared the bases with a bomber over the left field fence. 3-0 DePaul. 


Louisville would put their two hits together in top of the sixth when Whitney Arion and Maggie Ruckenbrod started the inning with singles. Verdun, though, retired the next three Cardinal batter to eliminate the threat. 

The Cards return home and will host the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday. Tickets are $5 and available at the UofL Ticket office. CARDINAL COUPLE will be there to cover the game and even offer to take a turn at the plate and see if they can help shore up the absent offense of late.


Louisville managed just one run against the Wildcats last week and scored just six runs in three games vs. DePaul. It's obvious to us that the competition level Louisville has been facing has taken a step up...as has the pitching.


************************************************************************


The NCAA Womens' Basketball Championship Game will take place Tuesday night in the Pepsi Center in Denver and the participants will be Baylor and Notre Dame. 

The Irish survived a frenetic final minute against UConn last night to stagger into overtime. Notre Dame broke open a 70-70 tie in the extra session, though, with some timely threes from Brittany Mallory and Natalie Novosel to send the Connecticut Huskies home 83-75.


Have to wonder...if Step Dolson hadn't been saddled with four fouls most of the second half...could the Huskies have continued the dish and paint play that led them to a three point half-time lead? 

Notre Dame returns to the final game to take care of some unfinished business. They were there last year and lost to another BIG 12 school in Texas A&M. They get the Baylor Bears (39-0) Tuesday. 


Baylor took control midway in the first half in their game against Stanford last night and despite the double and triple teaming of Brittany Griner by the Cardinal defense...Odyssey Sims and teammates were able to step up and win 59-47. 


Tuesday night will be a re-match against two schools who met earlier in the season. Baylor won that one 94-81 in Waco. 


We'd also like to extend our congratulations to the KENTUCKY WILDCATS for their Saturday win over UofL and wish them the best of luck tonight against the Kansas Jayhawks this evening in he NCAA Men's Final game.

Act like you've been there before, Wildcat fans, regardless of the outcome. 


Burning couches and automobiles are bush league. Celebrations are meant to be such that, not random acts of violence and destruction. Moderation is the key.

Our second nominee for the "What was I thinking?" award goes to former UofL and current Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino, who dumped his motorized hog in the streets of the Razorback State Sunday. Petrino was hospitalized but is not in serious condition. 


WE say...seriously? Especially to the governing board of Razorback sports. You're paying HOW MUCH? a year to this guy to guide your football team and there's no codicil in his contract that prevents him from being Easy Rider? 


And, to you, Mr. Bob...pretty silly behavior for someone in your position, sir. Or...is this your next job-jumping career move...leaving college coaching to become the next Evil Knievel? Cue up the Steppenwolf golden oldie Born to be Wild.  


Whatever...


************************************************************************


Speaking of final match-ups and destructive behavior...we get a report from Commish Mark on the CARDINAL COUPLE NCAA Womens' Basketball Pick 'Em Tournament. 


Going into the final game the top five are:


Paul's Experimental Bracket (which does not count) 148 
stark61 142
PDX Phil 131
Marks on Walz 127
LouavulFan 126


Lady Cards bracket (Commish Mark) is 12th with 112 points BUT CAN STILL WIN. 


SOME NOTES, SCENARIOS and OBSERVATIONS

-Looks like the P.E.B. (Paul's Experimental Bracket) "WINS" regardless of how anyone else or how the Baylor vs. Notre Dame game ends up. This bracket, which came out of the highly secretive CARDINAL COUPLE Think Tank and Sandwich Delivery Division deep in the secret lair of CARDINAL COUPLE far below the Parrish House facilities, was constructed by some of the world's most brilliant and "out of the box" (more like out of the "Ha-Ha" hotel) thinkers, dreamers and dissidents. 


-In reality, it was just taking the better seed in each of the 63 games. Some food for thought for next year. Paul thought he had a second entry and his picks entered as well in the contest. We've been able to determine that special Scandinavian scanner and hacking technology was used to enter the CARDINAL COUPLE Bracket Picks and remove this apocryphal entry. We'll get you next time, my pretties...


-stark61 is your winner if Baylor wins Tuesday and this entry would have a total of 174 points.


-Lady Cards is your winner if Notre Dame wins. This would give Commish Mark 144 points...narrowly defeating stark61

Paul has a statement prepared for media outlets at the conclusion of the CARDINAL COUPLE NCAA WOMENS BRACKET PICK 'EM CHALLENGE and CRAWFISH BOIL. Here's an exclusive peek at it: 


"I offer my sincere congratulations to _______________, the winner of the second annual CARDINAL COUPLE WOMEN'S NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET PICK 'EM CHALLENGE. You are the fortunate winner of the Panera Gift Card and you have earned the respect, admiration and acknowledgment of participants worldwide with your superior skills in bracket selections. As competitors on the field of honor, we all are winners today...regardless of how our brackets did. At CARDINAL COUPLE, we pride ourselves and are in gratitude for our readers' philosophy that sportsmanship, competition and hard work are the real winning features of contests...not just the final score. 


The great philosopher and iconic spokesman George Carlin once commented that there are seven words you can't say on the air, and I'd like to incorporate all those in congratulating you....but I'm late for darts...so, way to go________________and here's to you! (Extends hand and gives one-finger salute). 


************************************************************************


Mark also sends these video clips of Lady Cards Asia Taylor, Nita Slaughter and Bria Smith. Ah, for the fun and carefree days of college again...


Chunky Monkey


Singing It

(The second one is best viewed if standing on one's head)


************************************************************************