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

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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


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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


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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



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