Louisville women's basketball #3 in latest rankings -- Softball splits in Tennessee -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

CARDS #3 IN AP

The University of Louisville women's basketball team lands at #3 in the AP poll released Monday -- no first place votes, all 28 of those went to Baylor -- but the Cards are just behind Connecticut and ahead of Notre Dame. Mississippi State rounds out the top five and Oregon takes the biggest drop...from #2 to #6...after two straight losses and the injury to star Ruthy Hebard. 

The ACC leads the way with six schools in the top 25. (Louisville, Notre Dame, Miami, NC State, Florida State and Syracuse). The PAC 12 has five. Three conferences have three each and five conferences one each. Our neighbors to the east, UK are now at #11. 

Bracketology still has the Cards going to Chicago as the #1 seed after two games in Louisville. Currently, the guess is Stanford, Maryland and Iowa State fill out the top four seeds in that region and UK is a #5 seed in the Chicago bracket. 

Louisville gets a huge test Thursday night when N.C. State rolls into town. The Wolfpack have a 24-3 record, 11-3 in the ACC and are projected to be the #2 seed in the Albany Region...where UConn holds the #1 seed as of Monday. 

McGraw holds up three fingers in a blatant attempt to
influence AP Voters

There is a lot of consternation among Notre Dame fans that they are ranked behind the Cards, despite winning the regular season match up against UofL and that the Irish are not picked for Chicago. Charlie Creme sees them as the #1 seed in Portland. Notre Dame certainly added fuel to that "we belong in Chicago" argument with a dismantling of #17 Syracuse, at Syracuse, last night 98-68. 

Just two games for Louisville before the ACC Tournament. After NC State, the Cards head to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers on Sunday, March 3rd. The Cards are pretty much assured of getting two days off in Greensboro for the tournament as a top four seed before taking the court on Friday. 

Nine days before the teams converge on the Greensboro Coliseum. With Notre Dame ending their conference slate hosting Virginia, it seems likely that they'll get the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament. 


All Louisville has to do is "win out" against the Wolfpack and Pitt to claim the #2 seed and a share of the conference championship with a 14-2 conference mark. Notre Dame gets the tiebreaker. C'mon Virginia! Pull the upset! 

If the season ended yesterday, N.C. State and Miami would be the other two teams getting the advancement to Friday action. Those two meet on Sunday, March 3rd., in Raleigh, to end their ACC seasons and to decide who gets the #3 seed and possibly the #4 seed.  With FSU back in fifth place at 9-5, the Noles have to win out and then hope either N.C. State or Miami lose their final two to climb up to a four seed. To their credit, FSU defeated  N.C. State and split with Miami in the regular season.  

The wolves are a very serious and tough test for the Cards on Senior Night. 

We're winding down and approaching "the second season". It gets very "real" from here on out.

Time to compete for what you dream of, Cards.


SOFTBALL SPLITS IN KNOXVILLE

An early (11:30 a.m.) start for Holly Aprile's sluggers yesterday in the rain-altered Tennessee Classic. The Cards started against Bradley, who they downed on Sunday, and found continued success with a 6-0 whitewash of the Braves. 

Megan Hensley tossing the four-hit, complete game shutout for the Ulmer Stadium bunch. A scoreless affair for four innings but UofL broke loose for two unearned runs on three Braves errors and a hit batter. Pinch runner Jordyn Wolfe and Charley Bulter touched the plate for UofL. The Cards put four more runs up in the sixth with two walks, two hits and a couple of stolen bases. The "Butler" did it again with a two-RBI triple. 

In game two, UofL faced the hosting #8 Vols. Early on, it looked like it might be a Tennessee rout, as they jumped to a 5-0 lead after five innings.

Louisville had just begun to fight, though. 

In the top of the sixth, A Cardinal walk and single set the scene for a three-RBI home run from freshman Taylor Roby.

After holding the Vols scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, Louisville threatened again in the top of the seventh.

The Cards got a single, double and intentional walk to load the bases with two outs. Unfortunately, the Cards could not push any of the runners home. 

Louisville returns home for their first game in Ulmer on Friday, March 1st., in the Cardinal Classic. The Cards are scheduled to face Indiana State, IUPUI and Missouri over three days. Friday has UofL against Indiana State and Missouri. Saturday action involves the Cards against Missouri and IUPUI and they action ends Sunday against IUPUI.

Let's hope the weather cooperates. Current forecasting shows and "O.K." Friday but dropping temperatures on Saturday and a possible chance of snow showers on Sunday. 

Let's hope the weather guys are wrong in this prognostication. 



paulie
xxxxx











  

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball falls to Vols 8-1


-Wednesday at Churchill.


The University of Louisville softball team traveled to 
Knoxville Wednesday for a non-conference game 
against the Lady Vols. It's a shame someone forgot to
put the Cardinal bats on the bus, though. Louisville
managed just two hits in seven innings against junior

Sis on the left shuts down the Cards Wednesday

pitcher Ivy Renfroe and fall to the Lady Vols 8-1


#5 Tennessee (45-9) jumped on starting pitcher Tori Collins for a bottom of the first inning advantage when Lauren Gibson took a full count pitch over the center field wall to give U.T. a 1-0 lead.


Louisville kept it close briefly. In the top of the second, Alicja Wolny took first after getting plunked
by a Renfroe pitch and made it to home plate on a
Maggie Ruckenbrod single to tie it at 1-1. 

Chelsea Leonard got
roughed up in
Knoxville

After two innings, Sandy Pearsall pulled Tori Collins and put the ball in the hands of Chelsea Leonard. That strategy backfired...as the Lady Vols erupted for a four-run third inning. The Vols touched Leonard for four hits in the inning and it was 5-1 Tennessee after three innings. 


UT went on to add two runs in the fifth, off Caralisa Connell...who replaced Leonard in the fourth inning...and a additional run in the sixth for the 8-1 final. Louisville briefly threatened to score in the sixth when Whitney Arion drew a walk, stole second and streaked home on a Jennifer Esteban single up the middle...but center fielder Tory Lewis threw the freshman Arion out at the plate. 

Cards need to remember to put the
bats on the plane this weekend.
They didn't make it to Tennessee
on Wednesday...obviously.

Time to tear off the rear view mirror on this disaster and get ready for a season-ending series against the St. John's Red Storm in New York. Louisville (47-3) holds a one-game lead over USF and Notre Dame and can clinch the regular BIG EAST season championship by winning at least two out of three against the Queens residents. They'll play two on Derby Day (our coverage may be delayed) and a final on Sunday.




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Used to be, a few years back...that Wednesday was the last relatively "sane" day out at Churchill Downs on Derby week. 


It'll have to be moved to Tuesday if this keeps up. 

It took three of them to keep an eye on me Wednesday.
I did manage to get Riza (right) trained, though.

Went to the track yesterday to enjoy a few races before watching the UofL vs. UT game on-line. Figured it would be a good betting day and relatively free of "turistas" and amateurs. Wrong on all three accounts...but still a fun afternoon. 

Christie and Angie have been fully trained and are
proficient at handling my nonsense.  

The gates opened yesterday at 11:00 a.m. and that's about the time I rolled into the Longfield Avenue lot. Parking was no problem but the line to get in the gate there was 150 yards long. We're talking a football field and a half here, folks. Fortunately, I scooted over to the senior citizens gate, plunked down my dollar and slipped past the suspicious money taker within seconds. In some venues, I am considered a senior citizen. I certainly have senior moments...

Louie is "the man" when it comes to hats
and gift of gab. 

Time between the entrance and first race was spent doing a little handicapping and walking around and visiting old friends that work at Churchill. Most of them are still there and doing well. I found my favorite security guy, Louie, in a new location this year. He's guarding the trainer and owners room down on the ground-level "bricks". He has two chairs behind him, too... a sign of respect and authority at Churchill. 

Ask Jo-An about the "Gordon's Fisherman" if you stop
by and meet her. Bring a stick of butter.

I also ran into my buddy Jo-An at her normal "live meet" spot...the Paddock Bar on the first floor. She's a character...and one of the most friendly bartenders you'll meet at the Twin Spires. Jo-An "adopts" a Derby runner each year and champions the cause of that particular horse to almost obsession levels. This year, it's the white horse HANSEN and she's even made buttons to proudly display. If you go to the track this spring, make sure and stop by and say "Hi" to her and tell her Paul and Tom sent you. She might even serve you after that.  

Joe (right) is being closely watched by security because
of his ability to sing any Beatles tune off key and with
great enthusiasm. 

It was a day for low priced favorites at Churchill to win...and since I don't play those real often...I wasn't doing so well early on. I was even hitting "Pick 3" wagers and barely getting back what I invested. As my buddy Joe kept commenting:


"Get out the erasers because there's chalk everywhere"


As I headed into the last race, I decided to change my strategy. Last moves of a desperate man. Calvin Borel, who hadn't won a race all day, was on a 4-1 shot named Red Wine and I liked a definitive longshot that I've followed for a few years named Steve's Revenge because a buddy of mine used to train him. I decided to bet "Bo-Rail" to win and worked up a .10 cent Superfecta wheel including those two and most of the rest of the field. 


Lady Luck was on my side in the 10th race. Borel danced Red Wine home five lengths in front of the rest and 28-1 shot Steve's Revenge took second by a neck. I got $10 on the winning ticket I placed on "Calvinista" and my .10 cent superfecta returned a  'shut the front door' whopping $275.90 off a $8.10 wager. 

The rally worked. I left the "most legendary race track in the world" with a pocket full of cash and got home in time to watch UofL softball on the PC. 

How will "I'LL HAVE ANOTHER" do on Derby
Day? We aren't leaving him out of the "gimmicks" 

If you go today, be prepared for a long wait on Longfield Avenue if you aren't going out super early. Last year on Thursday, I sat in traffic from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. over a half-mile stretch of the street that runs south of Churchill. Never again. Gates open at 11 a.m. and parking about an hour before that. 


We've also outlined three Derby horses that could surprise at a price and sent the article to Charlie over at Card Game. When he decides to run it, who knows...but Charlie's site is always worth a daily visit.


Linkie below: 


The Observer sees all and talks about it


(WE'LL HAVE KY OAKS picks in the FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE. You have been warned.)
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Four remain in College Softball World Series

Tennessee, Arizona, Georgia and UCLA play in the semifinal Sunday in Oklahoma City for the chance to advance to the championship bracket in the 2010 NCAA Softball Championships

The Vols, who eliminated Louisville from the tournament in Knoxville, take on Arizona in one of the semifinal matches. They beat Arizona 9-0 earlier in the double elimination format and if they win they secure one of the final two spots. A loss to the Wildcats would force a deciding second game today.

UCLA goes against the Georgia Bulldogs in the other semifinal contest. Georgia sent Florida to the sidelines last night with a 3-2 win. The Bulldogs also will need to win twice today if they are going to play in the championship series. Arizona ended Hawaii's season yesterday with a 5-1 beating.

Action starts at 3:30 and will be on the four letter network.

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DROSSELMEYER came flying down the Belmont stretch to win the Belmont Stakes yesterday at 13-1 odds...catching FIRST DUDE and holding off FLY DOWN for win.
A nice win for veteran trainer Bill Mott, a Churchill regular who had never won a Triple Crown race until yesterday. DROSSELMEYER got the win with Mike Smith aboard..a jockey change from Kent "Superman" Desormeaux.

A key factor? Definitely...Mike Smith is a veteran, cagey jockey who knows the New York strip well and is one of the most paitent riders out there. Smith let FIRST DUDE dictate the pace and waited for the midstretch before making the sweeping move to grab the lead.

Another factor that didn't hurt. DROSSELMEYER trained in aluminum pads on his feet at Belmont...which protected his feet from the abrasive Belmont surface. The win for DROSSELMEYER was his third in nine lifetime starts.

Trivia question...Who is Drosselmeyer?

He is one of the characters in the ballet "Nutcracker." Having sat thru yearly performances of the Nutcracker at the Louisville ballet when I was younger..I remembered the name and we featured DROSSELMEYER here in a column in CARDINAL COUPLE as one of our live longshots a couple of days ago.

We were rewarded with a $47 across the board return for our $2 win/place/show wager. We also put him in a $1 exacta box with ICE BOX, FLY DOWN, FIRST DUDE and STAY PUT..and that $20 investment brought back $72. Unfortunately, our $1 trifecta wheel did not have DROSSELMEYER on top and we donated $56 to the mutuals on that one.
Across the board on FIRST DUDE got us back a little show money.

An across the board on MAKE MUSIC FOR ME ended up in the recycling bin. So did an inexpensive .10 cent superfecta that had all the right horses but no DROSSELMEYER on top. Paul got the entire table with us at the Turf Club mad at him when he proudly displayed a $2 win/place/show ticket in the previous race at Belmont on WINCHESTER. This one went off at 21-1 and upset GIO PONTI in the Manhatten Handicap to give him $67 back for $6 wagered.

The card at Churchill wasn't as kind to us Saturday...we were pretty far down before hitting the late Pick 4 to get us back to close to even there.