WCWS Championship, Dana Evans & CHI Sky @ INDY This Weekend; FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

FRIDAYS WITH DARYL 

GOOOOOOOOOOOOD Friday morning Louisville and Cardinal Couple readers ! 

She's back on the personal keyboard this week checking in with the Cardinal Couple faithful after quite the hiatus, and I appreciate the rest of the CC team stepping up in my absence.  I did get the chance to unplug and relax on the beach for a week but it was sandwiched between an ACC Softball Championship with the ACC network and two back to back home-stands down at Slugger field.

Just a whooole lot of button pushing going on between the desk job during the day & the sports stuff in the evenings.  And of course when I'm not on a clock, I'm at home pushing the boyfriend's buttons every chance I get...

Anywho, I am glad that it's mid-June and there's a couple things I can talk about.

Women's College World Series 

Firstly, I hope you got the chance to tune into the Women's College World Series over the past week.  I did miss Day One where JMU stunned the softball world and beat both 'home teams' Oklahoma and Oklahoma State... but i did obsessively watch the rest up until Thursday's Game 3 of the Championship between OU and Florida State.

 
I was absolutely thrilled that no super blue team was in OKC.  UCLA doesn't count.  I was rooting for the Bruins to repeat as Champs.  We had a very maroon 'Final Four' and witnessed some historic and downright "bad-a$$" performances and plays. 

"Shout out to me? Well, a shout out 
right back at ya, Daryl !" 

Shout out to Montana Fouts for the perfect game.  The KY native celebrated her 21st birthday with an epic performance in the circle.  Shout out to JMU's Odicci Alexander for the game winning play at the plate.. the fifth year senior gave the game her ALL.  The play of Mackenzie Donihoo of OU also stands out in my mind.  She had excellent at bats which often resulted in a hit and/or a run...and her efforts on defense when she was diving for fair and foul balls out in left field...were fun to watch. She also made sure to keep the crowd hyped in between pitches. 

The 2021 WCWS was a glorious event filled with everything at its best.  I do believe this was the first event with a full capacity crowd for the USA since COVID restrictions have lifted?  It was loud and it was beautiful, rain delays and all.

After it was all said and done, the Oklahoma Sooners were crowned the 2021 champions after a dominating game 3 performance.  It is the fifth title for the Sooners in program history, all under HC Patty Gasso, the last one coming in 2017. After falling to FSU in game one The Sooners battled back in game 2 and 3 to take the title back to campus, 25 miles down the road from HOF Stadium.

 

The CCRHP gang was upset with me cutting off the championship talk in our group chat because I was recording it to watch after work... But I think we were all in agreement that we were not rooting for the Seminoles to dog-pile for the trophy. 

OU homered in the first and second inning and put up a 3 spot in the third to make it a 5-1 victory for the Sooners.  Danielle Watson took the "L' . The former Cardinals pitcher gave up back-to-back "touch-em-alls" in the second inning and that was enough for the Sooners to win, but more OU scores were to come. 

Bye, bye, Noles...

The Seminoles' lone run was scored an RBI double but it was a very high pop up lost in the sun in the shallow 1st/2nd base area.  Sooners ace Giselle Juarez allowed one run on two hits on Thursday afternoon and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. The left-hander allowed four runs in 31 1/3 innings.  Fittingly, the last out was a very short pop up into her glove.

Game over.

It was a dominating day for Oklahoma. 

 

DANA EVANS - Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever this weekend!

After the Fever visited the Sky in Chicago on Wednesday evening, the Sky will follow the bus back to Indy to face the Fever for a Saturday afternoon rematch.

The game is scheduled to tipoff at 1p.m.

The Sky downed Indy 92-76 in that previous meeting, Dana Evans had 9 points, 1 assist and a rebound in 12 minutes on the floor. 

I have a feeling she's just getting settled into her new role in Chicago... the place she probably should've gone to to begin with.  It just so happens that I planned on heading to Indianapolis Saturday afternoon... coincidence? We will find out... 

So I am tentative for the Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast for Saturday.  

The Indy trip is confirmed.. the game, is a maybe.  A really want to maybe, though.  I definitely intend on catching some WNBA games in Indy at some point.  

Have a great Friday y'all.  Wear your sunscreen & tip the bartenders. 

Go Cards! 

~Daryl 

Myisha, Mystics master Minnesota -- FSU pounds Oklahoma in WCWS -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

MYSTICS 85 - MINNESOTA 81

Myisha Hines-Allen had 18 points last night and Washington put together a 53-38 advantage over the Minnesota Lynx last night in the second and third quarters to down the visiting Lynx. 

As it is with Washington, if Tina Charles has a big game, the Mystics do pretty well, and the former UConn Husky great didn't disappoint the home crowd with 31 points. The two were part of a four-playerd double digit point effort that improved Washington to 3-5 and dropped Minnesota to 3-5.

A 27-18 third quarter edge put DC in the drivers seat 70-56 and they were able to hold on, despite a late rally by the visitors to get the win. 

Guard play is always key in a team's success and Washington got a good effort last night from Ariel Atkins (17 pts.) and Natasha Cloud (11 points) to contribute to the win. 

Charles has had four 30 point plus games this season and leads the WNBA with 25.1 ppg. She's also shooting 48% from the floor. It makes one wonder just how good the Mystics might be if they had Elena Della Donne in the lineup. She's taking things day-to-day, though and hasn't set a date for her comeback.  It also raises the question of how Washington will handle things when she does. Will it put Hines-Allen on the benc h as a reserve, or will Washington play the trio of Charles, Della Donne and Hines-Allen as starters and sit Shavonte Zellous?  

Washington remains home for their next contest, when they bring in the LA Sparks (4-3) Thursday night. 

FSU 8 -- OKLAHOMA 4 

The first game in the WCWS Finals took place last night in Oklahoma City and it was Florida State often and early, bombarding the Sooners 8-4/ 

FSU held a 7-0 lead after the top of the fourth -- a five-run inning helped that explosion -- and I was beginning to wonder if this one might get run ruled. Ex UofL pitcher Danielle Watson  wasn't getting battered by Sooner bats yet and FSU seemed to be having a field day against OU hurler Nicole May. 

The Sooners weren't quite ready to stop playing for the night, though. They went back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth against Watson and added two more in the bottom of the sixth to chase Watson from the circle and make it 7-4. 

Kat Sandercock came in to pitch and to save the day for the ACC school, though, and the Noles picked up a top of the seventh inning run to double the score and take the contest. 

It's interesting to note that each time this year OU has lost a game, the losing streak has stopped there. It happened early in the season against Georgia and most recently in the WCWS against James Madison. A two-game losing streak this time of year equates to your season being over, so the pressure is on the Sooners tonight to "even it up".

We also learned more about the "catcher interference" call by an umpire that most of us knew last night. When the catcher puts her knee down before catching the ball, that does constitute as blocking the plate without possession of the ball. Thus, the obstruction call comes into play.

The runner has to be given an opportunity to reach the plate, and in this case with the knee down without the ball, that is why obstruction was charged to the catcher.

OU came into the WCWS as the #1 seed and now have a 54-4 record. The Noles are 49-11-1 as the #10 seed and the tie came against our Louisville Softball squad -- a matter of travel arrangements necessitating FSU leave Ulmer and head to the airport. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

paulie 

  

CARDINALS IN OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS -- TIME FOR A CHANGE -- MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

 

LOUISVILLE SWIMMERS STRIVE FOR THE OLYMPICS

Louisville swimmers are making a splash out in Nebraska at the USA Olympic Trials. 

Action begins today at 11 a.m. in four events:  the 200M IM, 50M Freestyle, 200 M Breaststroke and 1500M Freestyle .They are doing the qualifying in "waves" (appropriate for swimming I'd say) where the top two finishers in Wave I events qualify for Wave II events. Those second events are the ones that get yo in the Olympics. Wave I is June 4-7 and Wave II June 13-20. 

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled for Friday July 23rd to Sunday August 8th. There is growing concern, however, in Japan about hosting the event emanating from the people of Japan. With a fourth wave of COVID 19 sweeping the island, up to 80% of the Japanese residents are in favor of cancelling or postponing the events. 

It ultimately, though, is not up to the Japanese political leaders. The decision comes from the IOF, the International Olympic Federation. That's how the IOC makes money. And, the Japanese would take a hige financial bath if the events wouldn't transpire -- with all the investments that have been made for the Summer Olympics. 

Japan also lags behind the USA and many other nations in getting their residents vaccinated. The athletes, obviously, will mostly be vaccinated...but attendance (which is what the advertisers and marketers want to see). could suffer because of the slow "shots" rate.  And volunteers, so important to an event like this, are walking away from their original offer to help and assist. 

What makes the Olympics, though?

It is the athletes. If they don't show, because of pandemic concerns, national policies or just the ever-increasing trend of the Japanese not wanting them and travelers to the nation...it's the old issue of, "How do you have a competition if you have no competitors?" 

Nevertheless, the trails go on. Cardinals we can keep an eye on today include: 

-- Diana Dunn (200IM IM) 

-- Aidan Kreiley (200M Breaststroke)

If you'd like to watch, go to:  https://www.usaswimming.org/utility/landing-pages/streaming

You can find results here:   https://www.omegatiming.com/2021/us-olympic-team-trials-wave-i-live-results

Best of luck to all competitors, especially our Cardinals ! 

AN EVEN PLATFORM

I've had a lot of fun following this year's WCWS NCAA Softball Tournament, but it's time to toss a changeup in here and make some changes. Changes in how long the event goes on in Oklahoma City. And, it's not about shortening the event.  

The NCAA needs to lengthen the event. Trying to cram the event in half the time-frame afforded the men's College World Series is stupid, archaic and  must change. Let's look at the beleaguered Florida State Seminoles. The Noles played until 2:20 A.M. Sunday morning, finally defeating Oklahoma State 4-2. Yes, rain delays played havoc with the schedule, but some Noles players did not get to bed until after 4 a.m. Sunday morning after necessary treatment (like ice baths and such),  then had to get up for 9:30 a.m. COVID testing and then head to the ballpark to play Alabama, in a elimination game for the Tallahassee school,  sitting through yet another weather delay.

Sleep-deprived much?

Incredibly, the Noles knocked off Alabama 2-0 to force a second elimination game. It was scheduled to be possibly be played last night, along with elimination match for tournament darlings James Madison against Oklahoma. Fortunately those games were moved to today because of continuing rain in the area and the start time is 4 p.m. for Dukes vs. Sooners and Noles vs. Tide around 7 p.m.

Today's action will give us a FINAL FOUR slate of schools, but the strain and stress on the participants is something that could have been avoided with a little prudent planning.  Yes, many teams did play four games over a three day weekend during the regular season, but someone like James Madison has had to play four games in five days after going through a grueling regional playoff schedule just to reach the WCWS in Oklahoma City.  

I know this doesn't relate to Louisville Softball, but, let's say the Cards qualify for the WCWS next year. I would bet that Holly Aprile wouldn't want to subject her student-athletes to this ridiculous cramming of contests to accommodate broadcasting or the NCAA's wishes. the thrill of getting there has to be incredibly huge, but the stay is akin to one of those non-stop dancing marathons from the 50's or 60's (or a Friday afternoon trying to negotiate I-65 South out of Louisville or any other major city). 

It is too much, too fast for these student-athletes. Trying to crowd this schedule of games, eliminations, advancement a and a Final Four in half the allotted time afford the NCAA DI Baseball Tournament is something the coaches, administration and event planners need to storm the NCAA offices over and demand equal time frames and spacing. How can you be at your best when your whole routine, schedule, sleep patterns and nourishment are tossed aside like a sandwich wrapper? 

Of course, being the NCAA, it'll probably take them several years to come to any type of decision, and then a couple more years to enact it. Yes, surely the fans suffer here but, that's small beer compared to what the teams have to go through. 

Even it up and equal it up NCAA. these women deserve much better than what your giving them. 

HAve a meaningful Monday,

paulie

Outdoor Track and Field Championships Begins -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Five Cards Set to Compete at the NCAA Track and Field Championships

Overshadowed by the WCWS in Oklahoma City, baseball out at Jim Patterson Stadium and WNBA season beginning --  the NCAA Track and Field Championships is sneaking up on us. .

Five Louisville Cardinals- three women and two men- will be in Austin, TX with hopes of bringing home a ring.

Makenli Forrest is a name we've mentioned numerous times here at Cardinal Couple.  The sophomore will compete in two events.  On Thursday, Forrest will compete in the hammer throw.  On Saturday, she will try her luck in the discus.  She has set personal bests in both events this season.

Gabriela Leon will also compete on the field events side, going up for the pole vault.  The sophomore broke the school record earlier in the year and is in  her second straight NCAA finals appearance.  Leon will compete tonight at 7:30.

Ivine Chemutai is the only runner in the bunch.  Like her teammates, she is a sophomore- what a class!  Chemutai will compete in the 10,000m, which is an event that should take her just over 30 minutes to complete.  She will compete Thursday evening.

The entire event can be streamed online at ESPN.

WCWS

ESPN gave a women's sport the spotlight they deserve as UCLA and Oklahoma squared off in the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.  The Bruins took the first game the previous day and the Sooners were looking to even the series to force a Game 3.

UCLA began the game with two consecutive home runs and used a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh to win the game 5-4 and claim the title.

With the direction Louisville Softball is headed I would not be surprised to see the Cards battling it out for a championship in a few years.

Keep an eye out for Friday's post as I'll hit Chapter 2 of the History of Women's Sports at UofL.  This week will feature another team that's not far from the start of their season: field hockey.


Louisville women's golf 

The Louisville women's golf team is in Ireland, hosted by freshman golfer Mairead Martin and her family, to hold a few clinic and tour the Emerald Isle. Martin is a native of Kantuck County, Cork Ireland. The group spent the first day holding a girls' golf clinic and then attending a Celtic Step Show.

Louisville women's golf will spend a week in Ireland. The Cards recently complete the Spring Season with an 11th. place finish in the NCAA East Lansing Regional. Their three-day total was 902.

Louisville loses just one senior, Olivia Cason, and welcomes new head coach Whitney Wade Young for the 2019-20 season.



I wonder if Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier and Al Horford took part in the Celtic...oops, never mind, different Celtics.







Happy Wednesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Cards rowing advances to NCAA Finals..."E" finishes her first NCAA Throwing competition

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


- All three Louisville rowing boats advance to finals

- Emmonnie Henderson finishes 31st in shot

- Did you see that?

All three boats entered in the NCAA Championships for the 18th. ranked Louisville rowing team advanced Saturday in the NCAA Championships and will row Sunday in the finals at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, IN.

The Cards varsity 4 squad (Chiara Ponko, Paula Gollnick, Kylie Noltemeyer, Kara Savegnago and Maddy Staubitz) finished second in their semifinal...losing to UCLA by just three seconds.

UofL's second varsity 8 crew (Sophie St. Martin, Abbie Wade, Amy Van Syoc, Lizzie DeVries, Cynthia Doyle, Kylen Patterman, Hanna Spittel, Marissa Thalen and Katie Nord) chased Indiana to the finish line...finishing second to the Hoosiers by five seconds.

The first varsity 8 team (Andrea Zorn, Elise Valentine, Lucy Wilshier, Morgan Dunham, Hannah Ritter, Darya Marchanka, Amanda Zaino, Jami Montesano and Sam Sinnett) rowed to a third place finish in the semis...six seconds behind UCLA and only two and a half second behind Washington State.

Competition starts early today...the varsity 4 crew hits the water at 8:40 a.m., second varsity 8 goes at 9 a.m. and first varsity starts rowing at 9:20 a.m.

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Emmonnie Henderson was one of two Louisville women's track throwers to take part in the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. She finished 31st...with a toss of 15.07 m/49-5.50. Senior Liberty Slinden came in 26th (14.41m/50-6.75) 

Cardinal Brittany Owens qualified for the NCAA Champonships in Eugene, OR in the long jump.

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I know, we usually don't cover UK sports here at the Couple...unless they're competing against Louisville... but we just couldn't help commenting on the Cats 8-7 loss in NCAA Softball's WCWS in Oklahoma City.

Up 7-0 on Baylor after five innings...it looked like the Bears just might be in danger of being "run-ruled".

Not so fast, my friends...

The Bears touched UK starter Kelsey Nunley for three runs in the sixth. After a scoreless UK top of the seventh, the Bears put four more on the board to take it to extra innings.

It was obvious that Nunley had nothing left but the UK staff left her in there. Lauren Cumbess, a fairly decent hurler...remained on first base.

The Cats went scoreless in the top of the eight and Baylor used a bottom of the eight opening double and infield grounder that turned into a throwing error to get in improbable 8-7 win with no outs.

Tough way to bow out of the World Series...you just gotta question UK softball head coach Rachel Lawson and her pitching coach's decision to continue with the dead arm on Nunley. Rise balls that weren't, curves that didn't, change ups that were hitting the dirt and way too many fast balls right over the middle of the plate that the Bears were swatting all over the outfield.

paulie

Cardinal Couple Thursday

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-WCWS KICKS INTO GEAR IN OKLAHOMA CITY

-WOLNY AND KELLER NAMED ALL-AMERICANS

(Columnist Jeff McAdams isn't talking about Julie Hermann today. He looks
at the Women's College World Series today. Just as well, some journalist
in Jersey will probably break news that Julie Hermann puts strawberries in her
bowl of Cheerios or she refused the automatic transmission fluid check eight
years ago when she had the oil changed in her car. Play Ball!)




As we reach the end of May, topics in women's athletics are getting to be slim pickings.

No, I won't be writing another opinion piece about whether Rutgers should stand by their hiring of Julie Hermann, or whether its reasonable to expect someone to remember being in a wedding from 15 years ago of someone that long ago ceased being a part of one's life.  Frankly, my interest in this as a media story has waned far faster than, it seems, the media's has.

There is, however, a women's athletics event that I will be trying to keep track of that starts today.  The Women's College World Series (WCWS) kicks off today in Oklahoma City with four games on the schedule.

Women's College World Series

The WCWS is played as two separate, four team, double-elimination brackets, then a best of three series between the two winners of the brackets.  This somewhat mirrors the Regional and Super-Regional structure of the broader portion of the overall tournament where four teams compete in a double-elimination bracket to advance to a Super-Regional with another Regional winner in a best of three series.

Play kicks off at noon between 11th seed Washington taking on 14th seed Nebraska.  Both teams upset higher seeds in their Super-Regionals to advance to the WCWS, which means they both spent the past weekend on the road.  The winner plays tomorrow in the 7:00pm game against the winner of the 2:30pm, #7 Tennessee vs #2 Florida game.  Both Tennessee and Florida were the higher seeds in their Super-Regional (Florida beat UAB who came out of the Louisville Regional), so they have the benefit of having played at home the past weekend, and as such may be slightly better rested.  The losers of these games move to the elimination half of the bracket and will play each other Saturday at noon.  Other games in this bracket include another elimination game (winner of the Saturday noon game, vs the loser of tomorrow's 7pm game), the winner of that game meets up with the remaining undefeated team Sunday at 1pm, and if the team that came from the elimination half of the bracket wins, the "if necessary" game will be Sunday evening at 7:00pm.

The other bracket starts this evening with a 7pm game between #5 Arizona State (who defeated UK 2-0 in the Super-Regional matchup) with #4 Texas.  The nightcap is at 9:30 between 8 seed Michigan, and top seed (and prohibitive favorite) Oklahoma.  All of these teams were the higher seed in their Super-Regionals, so all got to sleep in their own beds last weekend.  The winners of these two games play Friday at 9:30pm.  The first elimination game would be Saturday at 2:30pm.  The second elimination game will take place Saturday evening at 9:30pm.  The elimination side of the bracket meets back up with the undefeated team Sunday at 3:30pm.  The "if necessary" game is scheduled for 9:30pm, though one wonders if the "if necessary" game would go at 7:00pm if the other bracket didn't need to play its "if necessary" game.

The winners of these two brackets, will then play a best of three series with games on Monday and Tuesday, and an "if necessary" happening Wednesday.

All games are on ESPN and ESPN2.

After this is all over?  Well, its a long time until mid-August when volleyball gets into pre-season matches.

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Alicja Wolny and Katie Keller have been recognized for their contributions to Louisville
Softball by being named to the NFCA All-American second team. They are the seventh and eighth
players in Louisville Softball history to receive such an honor. Lacy Wood (2006), Kristen Wadwell (2009) Melissa Roth (2009, 2010) Tori Collins (2012) and Taner Fowler (2012) are also alumnae of
this prestigious award.

The Big Wol ready to send
one over the fence.

Wolny, a senior first baseman from El Dorado Hills, CA. led the Cards with a .423 batting average this season and had 11 fence clearer's. Keller, a junior second baseman...led the Cards in batting most of the season before finishing with a .402 average. She did lead the squad with 12 round-trippers.

Louisville (47-13) ended up #12 in the ESPN.com/USA Collegiate Poll and in the USA Today/NFCA coaches' poll.

Louisville has Keller, Taner Fowler, Hannah Kiyohara, Kayla Soles, Maggie Ruckenbrod, Ally Vaughn, Brittany Sims, Whitney Arion and eight talented new Cardinals arriving on campus this fall, Jordan Trimble is listed as a red-shirt junior as well, so I'm under the assumption we'll see her in centerfield next year. Still no word on the official status of freshman Jasmine Smithson-Willett.

Louisville looks well-positioned to compete as a conference leader next year. Pitchers Caralisa Connell and Rachel LeCoq, who had all 47 wins between them, also return for duties inside the circle.

-Jeff McAdams


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Sunday Cardinal Couple -- New look Dream down Tulsa

SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Angel, Atlanta start WNBA season with win

-Amashi Ali-Kendall qualifies for NCAA meet

-Softball Super Regional unkind to Cats

-Unruly Julie?


Finally...some hoops to hold us over until the UofL WBB squad gets back in action...

The "new look" Atlanta Dream looked very good in an opening season win over Tulsa last night 98-81 in Atlanta. Angel McCoughtry and company spoiled Skylar Diggins debut in the WNBA by using a 21-6 run late in the first quarter to shock the Shock. The Fred Williams era as Atlanta skipper is off to a good start.

This is a different looking team than the 2012 Dream who sputtered in the 2012 playoff against Indiana after making it to the WNBA league finals in 2010 and 2011.

Yes, there are some returnees you'll remember and recognize. Angel McCoughtry, of course...along with veteran front liners Sancho Lyttle and Erika de Souza. Tiffany Hayes, the high scoring UConn guard.

After that, it's a shakeup of new talent. Three rookies on this year's squad...Anne Marie Armstrong (Georgia) Alex Bentley (Penn State) and Courtney Clements ( San Diego State) are guards that will be depended on to feed the scoring machines Hayes, DeSouza, Lyttle and Angel. Jasmine Thomas and Armintie (Price) Henderson will also dish the assists. 

The Dream is heavily guard-oriented under Coach Fred...with only three front-liners...DeSouza, Lyttle and nine year veteran Le'Coe Willingham (Auburn).

Angel likes what she sees.

"It looked like we've been here with everybody for a while. We got some new additions and they fit right in. I was very proud of how the girls played. It was very good chemistry today, and the thing is...we can still get better. I'm looking for a great season."

Angel had 16 points in the win. Tiffany Hayes led all scorers with 21 and Sancho Lyttle added 18.

Despite a rallying 28-19 run by Tulsa in the second quarter to make it close...the Dream scored 12 points off 10 Tulsa turnovers in the third quarter while pushing the lead to double digits...where it remained the rest of the game.

Atlanta will do well, we predict, under Williams...as long as he can keep the talent happy...something the former head coach of Atlanta, Marynell Meadors, failed to accomplish.

So far, Angel is on board.

"It's early in the season. There are going to be some things like that (Tulsa's run) but I was very pleased with what I saw today.

Keep the talent happy, Fred. So far, so good...

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Louisville thrower Amashi Ali-Kendall finished third in the shot put at a premilinary meet in Greensboro, NC for the NCAA Championships that will be held in Eugene, OR next month.

Her toss of 54' 5" was good enough to qualify for the Championships. It'll be the senior's first appearance in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She came in second in the BIG EAST Championships earlier this month and did participate in the NCAA Indoor Championships last year.

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We're still following the Softball Super Regionals...even though Louisville isn't a participant. The state's only school in the Round of 16...Kentucky...took a 5-4 loss to Arizona State last night in Tempe. Four home runs for UK in the loss. They trail 1-0 in the best of three series.

Other winners and losers:

Oklahoma 8 - Texas A&M 0 (Oklahoma advances to WCWS)
Michigan 2 - Louisiana-Lafayette 1 (UM moves on 2-1)
Texas 3 - Fla. State 2 (Texas leads 1-0 in Super Regional)
Nebraska 5 - Oregon 2 (Huskies win at Eugene, lead 1-0)
Washington 1 - Missouri 0 ( UW headed to WCWS)
Tennessee 5 - Alabama 3 (Vols earn a berth in Okla.City)
Florida 4 - UAB 3 (Gators go up 1-0)

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It didn't take long for the muckrakers and sensational slimeballs to go after new Rutgers AD Julie Hermann. They're dragging out Hermann's departure from Tennessee in the swipe below:

HERMANN ABUSIVE?


Digging back 16 years in the past to try and slam one of five women Athletic Directors in Division I NCAA Sports is a cheap and tawdry attempt by Fox Sports and Tim Pernetti loyalists to heap more wood on the raging fire that is Rutgers Athletics.

I stepped on an ant last week. Quite by mistake. It's a wonder I haven't been brought up on animal abuse and cruelity charges by some dirtball columnist out there.

Did I do anything I regret 16 years ago? Probably. Renewing football tickets for Ron Cooper's final year at UofL comes to mind. That was abuse...much more than what Hermann allegedly did.

Sometimes, I'm ashamed to be in this profession of writer and columnist. We have some real jerks and scum-buckets in our midst. Don Henley nailed it right on the head years ago with his song "Dirty Laundry".

DON HENLEY'S "DIRTY LAUNDRY".

What was that old bible quote about 'ye free of sin casting the first stone'?  


-Paulie

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Sunday Cardinal Couple - Sunday with Sonja

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


KYVIN GOODIN ROGERS DECOMMITS FROM LOUISVILLE


-Some UofL WBB notes


-Night racing at Churchill kicks into gear


- Cardinal Baseball 


CARDINAL COUPLE has learned that 2013 verbal Kyvin Goodin-Rogers from Marion County has de-committed from Louisville and re-opened her recruiting. A good, reliable source has confirmed the ASGR reports of this move. 


Although we have no firm basis to say why she has de-committed, the logical assumption is that she's paid attention to the recruits that UofL is pursuing, the strong nucleus of current Cards on campus and felt her playing time may not be significant upon arriving at UofL. 


Goodin-Rogers will play her senior season with Cardinal commit Makayla Epps at Marion County.


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Welcome to the start of our two-month Writers Days at Cardinal Couple! Starting today, and running through July...our writers will have a weekly column for you on whatever they want to write about. I get to kick it off, followed by David Watson tomorrow, Sandy Walker Tuesday, Jenny O'Bryan Wednesday, Mark "The Commish" Schneider Thursday, Reader Submitted Articles Friday and Paulie on Saturday. 

Me and Poobah. 

I've seen a couple of these writer's ideas for their inaugural articles and I do believe you'll enjoy their writings. 


We'll break in, of course, with any headline news about UofL Women's Athletics as needed. 


So, get out the tent, grill and bean bag boards....we're on Summer Break here at Cardinal Couple and got the khaki's and tank tops on! Volleyball, anyone? 


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A glance at the current roster listing for Jeff Walz's basketball team shows 13 girls listed. We now know that freshmen Cortnee Walton will wear #13 and Megan Deines will wear #15. 

Walton inherits a jersey that has some great history to it. #13 was "C.B.'s" number and Candyce put up some great numbers in it. Toni Slaughter (Antonita's older sister) wore it as well. Jill Morton shone in it from 1997-2000 and Jenny Pearson had it back in 1992.

Deines dons a number last worn by Tiera Stephen in the 2009-10 season. Before that, Tatjana Boston, Sabrina Minter and Jenny Knight checked in with it. One of my favorite Lady Cards of all-time, Jody Martin had it on her back from 1991-94. Megan wore #33 in high school. Monique Reid probably wasn't ready to turn it over to her.

So...returning star Monique Reid will be back in her #33 for her senior year. Tia Gibbs will put on #25 again. You'll see those two numbers out on Denny Crum Court a lot in 2012-13. 

Shoni indicating that the Cards have two BIG EAST
titles in the future? 

The official roster makes no mention of Monny Niamke yet. We're told that she'll be a Cardinal, though...so we'll have to wait before we can give you her number. 


The roster has three seniors (Harper, Taylor and Reid), four juniors (Vails, Slaughter, Shoni and Gibbs), four sophomores (Hammond, Smith, Jude and Dyer) and two freshmen (Walton and Deines).


Only 150 or so days until the KFC YUM! Center starts rocking again to the sound of UofL WBB cheers. 


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Downs after Dark! 

Churchill Downs kicked off June Night Racing on Saturdays with a better than average card for the historic oval. Three stakes races were featured and favorites won two of them. Rothko had no trouble in the Aristides Stakes and Bizzy Caroline enjoyed her return to the turf by winning the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap. The upset special was Island Bound in the Winning Colors Stakes...a flying outside, from far back finish with Leandro Goncalves on board to best the field at 9-1 odds.  


If you are a fan of jockeys Corey Lanerie or Manny Cruz, you were probably pretty happy during the final four races of the evening. They split the wins equally and each had three winners for the night.


Night racing is a whole different scene than days at Churchill. The crowd is larger, younger, more active and the atmosphere of the track is more "party" than racing. I enjoy it. 


One "twenty-something" patron last night expressed it pretty well as we were getting ready to leave and turn the rest of the night over to the younger ones:


" When I was younger, my dad and uncle would bring me out here for day racing sometimes and it was boring as h--l for me. This is completely opposite. The crowd is big, everybody is having a great time and the music is fantastic. I haven't bet a race yet. My dad and uncle tried night racing once last year, didn't enjoy it. I'd come every Saturday night, though, if they offered it. Babes, beer, buddies and tunes. Pretty sweet. Imagine if they'd add like slots and poker."  


(Hopefully someday, young man...someday)


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Tough loss for the guys last night in baseball. 16-4. Ouch. Arizona advances in the winners bracket.


Drops Dan McDonnell's squad to the losers bracket in the Tucson Regional. One more loss and season over. They play Missouri tonight at 7 p.m.

South Florida and Tennessee, two Louisville softball opponents, are headed home. They dropped out of the WCWS yesterday with losses. 


The FINAL FOUR are California, Alabama, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Cal needs to beat 'Bama twice today to get to the finals. ASU needs two wins over Oklahoma on Monday to do the same. Ex-Cardinal nemesis Jolene Henderson in the circle for the Bears who eliminated Oregon. 


Thanks for spending a portion of your Sunday with Sonja! See you next week!