Wednesday Cardinal Couple -- Softball tops 'Toppers 7-2

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

-Ruckenbrod, Keller, Kiyohara key Cardinal 7-2 win

-Lacrosse heads to the Motor City for Detroit match

- Notre Dame 61 - UConn 59 BIG EAST FINAL.

-Whatever happened to ????


Louisville Softball improved their season record to 21-3 Tuesday with a 7-2 win over Western Kentucky Tuesday at Ulmer Stadium. Stepping up with key performances for the Cards were Maggie Ruckenbrod (three hits and one of them a home run), Hannah Kiyohara (three hits and two RBI's) and Katie Keller (homer and triple).

Louisville got on the board in the bottom of the first with Keller's blast over the left field fence, her seventh of the year. Alicja Wolny singled and scored on a Kiyohara single to lead 2-0.

The Cards increased the advantage to 4-0 in the third. Ruckenbrod drew a walk and scored on a Kiyohara double. Jennifer Esteban singled with two outs to score Kiyohara.

Make it 5-0 Cards after the fourth. Keller's triple off the right field fence started the inning and Jordan Trimble hit a fly to center to score KK.

After a two-run top of the fifth for the Toppers, Louisville finished the scoring when Wolny reached on a fielder's choice and Ruckenbrod pounded her second base-clearer of the year over the left field fence. 7-2. Cards win! Cards win!

Caralisa Connell went seven innings for her 13th win of the year...striking out five and allowing just three hits.

The Cards return to action Friday in the Louisville Softball Classic. Two games Friday, one on Sunday and one on Monday.

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Lacrosse searches for their sixth win of the season today when they engage Detroit at 2 p.m. Louisville is coming off a 23-1 victory over Presbyterian Saturday. The Titans (1-5) lost to Niagara in overtime last Thursday.

Louisville has the leading goals-per-game performer in the BIG EAST with Nikki Boltja (4.0). The cross and net Cards are fifth in the nation in scoring, scoring margin and seventh in draw controls. 

Looks like an easy afternoon for Kellie Young and the crew against the Atlantic Sun opponent. Detroit head coach Laura Maness was selected National Lacrosse Conference Coach of the Year in 2011.

It's 2013. Cards win by as many as they want with Young getting the backups some valuable game experience in the second half...

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MArkie MArk, a huge UConn fan, is sad that the Huskies
fell in the tournament. Cheer up, bro! U still headed to
the Dance!

A very exciting finish in the BIG EAST Championship game Tuesday night! Skylar Diggins stole an errant Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis pass, drove the length of the court and found Natalie Achonwa under the basket and for a score with a second to go...giving ND the 61-59 win over Geno's Huskies.

Beating a quality opponent three times in one season no small feat. Hats off to the Irish and let the pre-St. Patrick's Day Party commence.

Hats off, also, to CURTIS FRANKLIN, who was one of three Cardinal Couple Pick 'Em contestants to get all 14 games correct. His entry preceded CARDINAL COUPLE'S Sonja's picks by eight hours and 24 hours before also-undefeated Nick B....so he wins the $25 Chili's gift card.

Billy Ray dances to the new that Curtis has
won the CARDINAL COUPLE Pick 'Em!

Curtis, a regular reader and commenter here at the COUPLE, lives in Southern Indiana and works for a grocery store...in case you're looking for a free meal. He's a huge Cardinal sports fan in general and also roots for Floyd Central High School and the Atlanta Dream. Angel is his favorite all-time Lady Cards WBB player and his current favorite Card is Bria Smith...

Congrats, Curtis! I'll have the loaded potato soup and a burger!

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The Horizon League has announced their All-Horizon League honors and junior RACHEL STORY, of the UIC Flames, has made the All-Newcomer team.

Asia, Shoni and LaToya Johnson were all teammates
of Rachel's at UofL.

Remember Rachel? She was a Card for two years from 2009-11 before transferring to University of Illinois-Chicago and sitting out a season.

She averaged 15.6 ppg and was sixth overall in the league. She had eleven 20 point performances...getting six of them in the Flames last nine games. Her 451 points so far this year and 168 made field goals rank 11th on UIC's single season leaderboard.

Glad to see the ex-Card doing so well. The guard who came out of Milwaukee is playing a little closer to home now and doing well.  

(Thanks to reader Kenny S. for the find on Rachel Story.)


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Also, the Kentucky High School Girls Sweet Sixteen Tournament starts today in Bowling Green. Good luck to all the contestants. Marion County goes in undefeated and the odds on favorite to win the events.

GET YOUR TICKETS!

Paulie

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