Thursday Cardinal Couple - Valparaiso Softball

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


- Know the foe: Valparaiso Crusaders 


-Preakness Stakes Saturday


-Another ATayy episode

The University of Louisville Softball team will face the Valparaiso Crusaders in the first round of the NCAA Regional Softball tournament at Ulmer Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday evening. Valparaiso is a member of the Horizon League conference and went 42-17 during the regular season and conference tournament. They finished first in regular season play with a 19-5 conference record and won the Horizon Tournament. 

Alex Lagesse has a 1.98 ERA in
35 starts for Valpo

They captured the tournament after losing in first round play. Unlike the BIG EAST Conference Tournament, the Horizon League is double elimination...like the NCAA Regionals. Held at Valparaiso Stadium, the Crusaders lost to Butler 6-1 in their first game...but advanced through the losers bracket and met Loyola-Chicago in the finals. They had to win twice...and did, beating Loyola with successive 2-1 scores on Sunday, May 13th. 


The northern Indiana school has played one common BIG EAST opponent with the Cards...losing at Notre Dame before their conference play began. 

Sam McGee had a 2.81 ERA
in 23 starts for Valpo

In the pitching circle for Valpo, Alex Lagesse and Sam McGee share the duties. Lagesse, a senior from Beecher, IL. had a 22-9 record for the Crusaders, appearing in 42 games and starting 35 of them. She fanned 162 batters and was the starter and winning pitcher in the Horizon League Conference championship game. McGee is also a senior and was 15-5 for Valparaiso this year. She hails from Bloomington, MN and had 23 starts and 26 appearances this season. She struck out 79 opponents and was the starting pitcher in the Crusaders first game Sunday. 

Rutkowski has 14
home runs this year

When Valparaiso goes to the plate, Jordan Rutkowski does the most damage against opposing pitchers. She is batting .428 this season and had a team-high 14 home runs and 60 RBI's. The senior catcher is from Alden, NY.


Brittany Duncan is Valpo's designated hitter and also plays infield. She was second on the team with a .388 batting average and had 9 home runs and 51 RBI's...good for second place in all three stats. Duncan is just a freshman and calls Fairborn, OH her hometown. Jessica Marinec hits .331 for the Crusaders and plays second base. She led the squad with 44 runs scored and is a junior out of Alsip, IL. 

Stevens has Valpo on a
upward swing 

This will be Valparaiso's first-ever apperance in the NCAA Tournament and some of the credit goes to second year head coach Jordan Stevens. Stevens came from D III school Union (NY) College and has 76 wins in his two years as the Valpo skipper. 

Will Cards leading hitter Kristin
Austin be in the starting lineup?

No small task for the Crusaders, having to face the BIG EAST regular season and conference champs at their home field to start the NCAA Tournament. Louisville certainly cannot afford to overlook Valparaiso, though...and the Cards will need to get out the bats early and set the pace in this one. Not sure how right-fielder Kristin Austin is doing with the hamstring injury...but it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a .400 hitter out there against Valpo. 


We won't try to guess who Coach Pearsall will start in the circle for this one...but we'd like to see torrid Tori Collins out there. Means she'll probably go with Caralisa Connell...either is capable of ending the Crusaders conquest. 


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The Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown for 3 year olds...will take place Saturday at Pimlico Race Track in Maryland. Bodemeister has been confirmed as an entry and will try to turn the tables on Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another. 


Much ado each year about changing the format of the Triple Crown. Dropping Maryland and Pimlico and going to California or Chicago for the second leg. Fagettaboutit. Unless you've been to the Preakness at Pimlico, you can't really understand the pride, the tradition and historical value of this leg of the Triple Crown. We've had the fortune of going twice. We'll go again, someday.  


11 horses will contest the mile and 3/16ths course. Post positions:


1. Tiger Walk                         7. Bodemeister
2. Teeth of the Dog               8. Daddy Nose Best
3. Pretension                         9. I'll Have Another
4. Zetterholm                       10. Optimizer
5. Went the Day Well            11. Cozzetti
6. Creative Cause




There's also some pretty good racing out there on Friday. A 13 race card with eight stakes races. Their version of Kentucky Oaks Day for the fillies. The Miss Preakness S stakes, Black Eyed Susan and Pimlico Special headline the card. 


Churchill Downs is running both days as well and it's a great opportunity for you to get out and watch the best in live racing and simulcasting.

If you go, stop by and say "Hi!" to Jo-An at the paddock bar on the first floor inside next to the bricks where they saddle the horses . She'll be mixing up Black-Eyed Susans both days and they're not bad at all. Just ask Sonja. She'll want to know how you knew her name. Point to her name-tag first and then tell her Paul and Sonja sent you. Maybe she'll still serve you. It's a souvenir glass...can't beat that.  


We'll have our Preakness picks for you tomorrow. Read them at your own risk. David Watson, always one step ahead, has already sent his to us. He likes:


1) Optimizer - Gotta stay with D.Wayne Lukas
2) Creative Cause - Wasn't that bad in Derby
3) I'll Have Another - Not enough distance to close
4) Bodemeister - Speed won't hold like at Churchill

Great. Now we got Watson thinking he's a handicapper. With comments even. Pretty soon, he'll be forecasting BIG EAST Football and analyzing NASCAR races. 


Just another sign that the Apocalypse isn't too far away... 


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Finally, ATayy is back with another episode. This time she gets in front of the camera to do a Cardinal flavored version of MTV Cribs. The highlight is when she picks up a British accent and invades Sherrone Vails' room for a surprise visit to see how she is "in her natural habitat." Nita Slaughter co-stars in the latest video. Funny stuff! 


We fear she'll show up at our secret lair deep beneath the Parrish House one day for a expose on how CARDINAL COUPLE is written. WE have the staff chimps and Bill the Goat on 24/7 DEFCON 5 alert status for her. Poobah has been instructed to run a diversion if it happens and show her and the film crew 80 Under 80 instead...along with serving snacks and Snapple. No Bud Select for these girls. 


Link below:


A-Tayy's Cribs

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Tuesday Cardinal Couple...Hoops, Re-Alignment and Softball

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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


- Cards looking good for women's hoops 


- BIG 12? It's a soap opera! 


- Softball looks to expand on best season ever.


( We turn the Tuesday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE over to our special correspondent David Watson today.) 

It's official. The official announcement by the NCAA that Tia Gibbs and Monique Reid are cleared for playing status this year is something most Cardinal WBB fans figured would happen. It's still good to know, though. You never really know just what those folks up in Indy are going to come up with. 


So, the speculation starts (five months in advance) on who will start for Jeff Walz's 2012-13 team, how the playing rotation will work out and how far this team can get. 


And, basically, that is all it is. 


Speculation.


Only Jeff Walz and his staff can make that call. And, they'll make the decision after watching practice after practice and seeing what works. It's fun to guess, though. I looked at the anticipated roster for the season that thought that a starting lineup of Shoni, Mo, Tia, Asia and Bria looked pretty good. 


People will disagree with this, I am sure. Louisville has quite a few options available and depth certainly won't be a problem. 


Five months. Let the speculation fly. 


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


More speculation about the BIG 12 takes front stage again. Now the rumors are that Florida State might be looking to leave the A.C.C. and go westward. I'm even hearing Clemson wouldn't mind tagging along. 


Will this re-alignment soap opera ever end? 


It's particularly bothersome when you stop and think about the reason for it. 


Football.


And, football = dollars for college athletic programs, if you (or your conference) are good at it. The lure of multi-year television contracts. Packed stadiums on Saturdays. 


Women's sports are the fall-gals here. 


Sending a soccer team or field hockey squad 2000 miles away for a game just doesn't make sense. Not exactly a bus trip away. I don't mean to make any sympathy overtures for West Virginia, but they're joining a conference that is strong in women's softball. They don't play softball at West Virginia. Will they now try to field a team? Or will they just save money on not having to go to Stillwater and Lawrence from Morgantown to play a few seven inning games? 


You know how it goes. A school leaves a conference. Another school leaves another conference to replace them. Apply as needed and call me if the pain worsens. 


The Big East isn't much about the east anymore. The Atlantic Coast Conference has those noted east coast seaports Syracuse and Pittsburgh now. I guess it's time for Purdue and Miami to join the Pacific 12. 


Wake me when it's over.


Makes you think that if the old Metro Conference could have stayed together, it wouldn't have been a bad football conference. Georgia Tech, Florida State, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Southern Miss, South Florida. 


Even Memphis and Tulane (every conference needs a couple of teams to beat up on, right?)


Of course, St. Louis and Virginia Commonwealth wouldn't have prospered too well in this alignment. Unless the league officials would have allowed the St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins from the NFL to "fill in" for them. Based on the seasons those two have had lately, neither would have contended for the Metro Conference football title. 


That conference would have had some pretty decent women's basketball and softball, too, if it had managed to develop into a all-sports conference. 


The good thing, I suppose, is that if you don't like the current lineup in the conference your team is affiliated in--stay tuned. It most likely will change.


After all, football is the economic engine, right? And engines run better when they're overhauled. 


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Cardinal softball. Just an amazing season. Did you watch the final of the BIG EAST Softball Tournament? Were you worried when Louisville fell behind 3-0 to Notre Dame? 


I wasn't.


Time after time this season, Softball has exceed expectations and pulled out games when it looked like they wouldn't. 


(OK, maybe I was a little worried.) 


And, guess who's coming back to Ulmer? That's right, the Kentucky Wildcats. They'll have their hands full with Michigan to open up and there's a chance that they and Louisville might not meet in the Regional. 


But, wouldn't it be great if they did? 


Looks like the early forecast is calling for great weather this weekend for the games. 


(UofL will be running a free shuttle for fans from Papa John's Cardinal Stadium to Ulmer Friday and Saturday. Shuttle starts at 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday.) 


Go, Cards Go! Or as Sonja has been saying:


Go Tori
Go Taner
Go Maggie
Get another banner.


(Thanks for filling in today, David! Got a take? E-mail us at: cardinalcouple@insightbb.com or leave a comment below.) 


You can also e-mail David directly at mrwatsonipresume@insightbb.com




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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE -HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE WILDCAT WRAP-UP


(Dear readers...for the last couple of years, we've run a parody of the blog on April's Fool Day. WE scared a lot of people last year with it...so be advised that the following articles ARE parodies, NOT TRUE and just our annual April Fools Edition. We have added a brief paragraph or so after each entry with an ACTUAL real summary of the event.)


Enjoy.


-PITINO fired after loss to UK


-LADY CARDS Softball disbanded after DePaul loss


-CARDINAL COUPLE to shutdown


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Popular UofL Coach fired after eight-point loss to UK
-New Orleans, LA.

"I never should have
replaced you, Denny."

Hours after the University of Louisville lost to Kentucky 69-61 in the semi-finals of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, head coach Rick Pitino was fired by athletic director Tom Jurich in what can only be described as a bizarre incident. 


Standing in the middle of Bourbon Street Sunday morning and wearing a World War II General's uniform, Tom Jurich made the announcement to a shocked and surprised throng of party-goers celebrating in the aftermath of Saturday night's games. 

"I always wanted to be a pirate
with a parrot on my shoulder." 

"It is my great and esteemed pleasure to announce that I, Tom Jurich, being of sound mind and body and in no way affected by the Hurricanes I've been drinking since 9 p.m. this evening...well, I've canned Rick Pitino as the coach of the Cardinals. It was that or just shoot him. I can't get a prison charge this way, so Ricky...you're outta here! See ya and wouldn't want to be ya! Adios amigo!"


After shouting the words through a bullhorn in front of popular nightclub establishment PAT O'BRIENS, Jurich dramatically raised a hand in the air, stuck his thumb out and pointed down the street.

"One more pitiful bowl appearance and
I'm hiring you back to replace that idiot
Charlie Strong" 

"Tell your story walking, pal...because your new title is EX-UofL coach!" Jurich bellowed and then suddenly sat down on the curb, appearing unsteady and wobbly on his feet. "I'm gonna tell all of you something, see...and you damn well better listen good, pal. This whole week has been a total abomination. WE can't do this against Kentucky, we shouldn't be in the Final Four, WE couldn't shoot the side of a barn with a shotgun. I'm running out of boxer shorts...I'm just sick and tired of it all!" 


Jurich then staggered to his feet again and started wildly waving his arms in the air, nearly striking sportswriter Howie Lindsey...who was standing next to Jurich and dressed as the character Bluto from the comic strip "Popeye". 

"Fans like these two make me want to give up this
job and go dig ditches. Hillbilly trailer trash..."

"And it's all Rick's fault. All of it! I build a big, freakin' arena downtown and he can't even beat South Florida in it! Even Walz beat South Florida and that man couldn't coach his way out of a parking spot on a bicycle! So...Farewell. Good bye. Auf Wiedersehen. Adieu! I love that song! I wanted to be in that movie but...no! Tommy has to be athletic director. Tommy has to be a placekicker. Tommy has to TAKE OUT THE STINKIN' GARBAGE!" 


Jurich then lurched forward and started walking down the street, singing the popular song from The Sound of Music...stopping only briefly when Lindsey asked who would  replace Pitino.

"I should be in this cast photo. With my arm
around Julie Andrews." 

"Congratulations, big boy! You've got the job." he snarled and disappeared into the crowd, singing loudly and high-fiving UK fans. 


Coach Pitino was informed of the news as he got out of a limo in front of the Krystal on Bourbon Street and asked for his reaction. 

RICK AND HIS ASSISTANT
COACHES SPOT A UFO
FLYING INSIDE THE KFC YUM
CENTER AND TRY TO ESTABLISH
COMMUNICATION.

"I could care less." Rick chuckled. "I've got more money that most third-world countries. I'll just go sit at the big table with Charles Barkley and those other CBS bozos. Maybe I'll build a boat and sail around the Keys...playing Jimmy Buffett music and pretending I'm a pirate. Maybe I'll take Gorgui and Chane with me and we'll smuggle cigars out of Cuba. I might grow my hair out and join Journey. I love those guys. Don't stop believing...Hey, whose up for burgers and shakes? My treat!" 


(The University of Louisville lost a hard fought game against Kentucky Saturday night 69-61. The Cards overcame several double-digit deficits and tied the contest at 49-49 after a Peyton Siva 3 with nine minutes to go. UK responded with a 8-0 run, though and held on for the win. A great coaching job by Pitino last night. Peyton Siva had 11 points, Chane Behanan 10 and Gorgui Dieng grabbed 12 rebounds and had four blocked  shots for Louisville. And, Rick Pitino is still the Louisville head coach this morning and Tom Jurich the best athletic director in the world.)


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A humiliating loss to a
school that doesn't even
play football

The University of Louisville's softball team lost their first game of the season to DePaul University 7-1. A second game was scheduled, but Sandy Pearsall took the team to the locker room after the first contest and read a statement to media and fans over the Blue Demon public address system shortly thereafter.


"Hello there ladies and gentlemen! As of five minutes ago, I have disbanded the University of Louisville softball team and have accepted a position as assistant head usher at Stonybrook Cinemas. I told the team before the season began that if they lost a game, I was going to give them all bus fare and send them home to their mamas and daddies. Well..it look them a long time to lose one...but now that they have...it is now the end of 12 years of CARDINAL SOFTBALL. 

"We've tried to teach her for four years to stand up. "

"We've had it rough over these past twelve years. We play on an antiquated, turf- bare sandlot that doesn't even have toilets or a concession stand. We started selling beer this year. I've never see so many AARP- aged people run out of a place, scratching their heads and wondering where they could go relieve themselves after a belly full of suds in my life! It snows here until May. You tell me how you play softball in 20 degree weather and my outfielders are building snowmen and throwing snowballs at each other in the third inning." 


"It's more than that. Jurich told me he'd slashed the budget 90% from last year. Said he had to pony up some more bucks to keep Charlie Strong here. Told me I could buy the team bats and gloves at the thrift store. Took all the seats out of the stadium and sold them to a revival preacher in Biloxi. He even sold the tarp we use to cover the field to a travelling circus." 

"It's bad enough I have to coach in a back alley
near the Interstate...then I get people like
this showing up to watch games..Jeezz!"

"So, I've decided to just get out of this whole deal and collect tickets at the cinema. It's a great job. You take the ticket. You smile at the customers and you tell them to enjoy the movie. When they're all seated and the movie begins, you sit in a comfy chair and eat popcorn and Goobers until the next movie starts. And, I'm making $2 more an hour than I was at UofL. I've enjoyed my time here on campus. Yeah. Right. I'd rather go through a root canal a day with no Novocaine."


After her remarks, Pearsall put 'Sweet Caroline' on the PA system and did cartwheels across the field before leaving in a exhaust-belching 1991 Ford Pinto. A collection of remaining players, support staff and some of the 3rd grade girls from Jesuit Day Grade School eventually took the field and defeated DePaul 4-3 in the second game. They named themselves the Arthur Street Assassins and plan on joining the Sunbelt Conference once they return to Louisville. 


(Louisville DID lose their first game of the season to DePaul yesterday 7-1 in the first game but came back to take the nightcap 4-3. DePaul jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on a Katelyn Braget home run and built up a 4-0 lead before the Cards got their lone run in the top of the sixth when Kristin Austin tripled and came home on a Katie Keller sacrifice fly. The Blue Demons added three runs in the home half of the sixth for the final 7-1 score. Tori Collins (13-1) took the loss, giving up four runs and four hits in four innings.


The Cards jumped on DePaul early in the second game with two runs in the first inning. Jennifer Esteban singled to start the game and scored on a Austin single. Austin got to the plate on a Keller single. 


After DePaul tied the contest in the bottom of the first, the teams remained scoreless until the top of the fifth. Esteban and Austin pounded back-to-back doubles off Blue Demon pitcher Bree Brown....Esteban scoring. Austin reached the plate to make it 4-2 on a Hannah Kiyohara single. DePaul would score the final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Caralisa Connell got the win for Louisville, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. Chelsea Leonard finished the sixth inning for Connell and Tori Collins came on to relieve Leonard in the seven and got the Blue Demons out in order. 


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Maybe we could sell the website to
this guy and he could post articles
about what kind of burger toppings he likes.

It's been a fun two and one half years being the fan voice of UofL women's sports, but WE decided Friday that we were going to shut down the website and concentrate on driving around the metro area and looking for potholes. It's pretty easy stuff...you drive down a street and if you see a pothole...first you avoid it and then you write down the address where you saw it. Then, you call the road maintenance guys and they come out and fill it. 


We're not sure if we can get paid for this or not...but we're not getting paid to do CARDINAL COUPLE either and this will give us a chance to get out, drive around and look at pretty flowers and see what's happening in different neighborhoods. Maybe stop for a coffee or ice cream or a walk through the park. Maybe we can get the city or state to just give us a tank of gas every three or four days. That would work. 

(Sonja to Paul) "If  you write another article about Becky Burke
I swear to the Holy Jesus that I'll cut
off your fingertips while you sleep. Let the poor girl
graduate and get on with her life, OK? "

We wanted to wait until the basketball game was played to tell you readers about this. We weren't going to bother and tell any of our contributing writers about it...all they do is complain that Coach Walz doesn't play Sara Hammond enough and pester us for PANERA Cards three of four times a week. And the upkeep of a bunch of unruly chimps and having to drag Bill the Goat out of perilous situations every week....who needs it? All the moronic e-mails and comments we get daily and spam artists, phishing and stupid bots out there that want us to refinance a mortgage that we don't have or try Viagra, tropical berry juices and off-shore casino gambling. 

A picture of the only readers we had in the month of March
Some of them can't even stand up on their own.

Hey, we're tired and my fingers bleed constantly from typing up this drivel for an unappreciative, illiterate and gaseous readership. Blah, blah, blah. 


We'll still leave the site access up, so those with writing and administrative privileges can log on and putter around here if they want. We'll see how that goes. Most of them couldn't write a two sentence paragraph about walking across the room and putting a plate on the table...but, most days we can't either...so what does it really matter? 


David Watson is the worst...Sonja spends hours going through the stuff he sends our way, running spell check and removing all the obscenities, profanities, bigoted references and death threats he puts in about Obama and Col. Sanders in each article he submits.  The man is dumber than a box of rocks and less interesting. He asks trees for advice. Seriously. We don't think he knows what periods or paragraphs are...much less how they should be used. 

Paul wants to form a speed metal band
with these three guys and give
up writing. Hello, Detroit!!

It's been great, CARDINAL COUPLE readers. Go check out some other website...we really don't care...or maybe turn off the laptop and do something productive like reading a book or performing volunteer work. 


Last person on the site please turn out the lights when leaving. We're off to the Ford Taurus and the open road, baby! 


(Fear not, readers. We aren't going anywhere. WE feel blessed and fortunate to have a website that started with a few friends and Google searchers reading and now receives an average of more than 2000 hits a day We marvel on how we have great writers like David, Jenny and Sandy. WE also appreciate all of our readers -- even the ones in Connecticut -- and the comments and great Internet finds from people like Commish Mark, Ellis and Shirley, PDX Phil and so many more of you. 

You are CARDINAL COUPLE. If it's wasn't for you...there would be no CARDINAL COUPLE. You (and us) are the fans. And, that's what this site is about. 

Thanks for riding along with us this far and we hope you'll continue the journey!


And, thanks for reading the PARODY April Fools Edition of CARDINAL COUPLE. See ya tomorrow! )
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Softball wins doubleheader to go to 26-0...L1C (final) 4 !!!

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball takes two from Pitt to go to 26-0


-L1C(final)4. Cards headed to New Orleans! 


-"Three" has a different meaning around Cards softball.


-Lacrosse loses narrowly to undefeated Irish.


Louisville softball rallied from deficits in both games today to sweep the double-header and go to 26-0 on the season. 3-1 and 4-3 were the final scores.


GAME ONE

Banner over left field fence

Took a different approach to game viewing today. Instead of hanging in the press box, I brought a folding lawn chair and took in the action from left-center field behind the fence. The outfielders probably would have disapproved if I'd made camp on the field in left-center in front of the fence. Seated over to the right of me was Cards basketball star Becky Burke, enjoying the afternoon from the grassy berm with a couple of friends.


Arriving in the second inning of game one, it was obvious that the Cards were waiting for me to get there before getting the action started...trailing 1-0.


In the bottom of the fourth, Louisville struck for their three runs...getting a lead-off double from Taner Fowler and Kirsten Straley came in to pinch-run for her. She got to third on a Alicja Wolny single and scored on Jordan Trimble's infield single. Maggie Ruckenbrod drove a double to the base of the fence (and right in front of me in left-center) to score Wolny and Trimble to make it 3-1.


Pitt threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with two outs...but Chelsea Leonard struck out Pitt left-fielder Carissa Throckmorton to get out of the jam and end the game.

Cloudy skies over Ulmer Stadium grandstands

By then, I had temporarily moved to the press box to pick up  lineup and information sheets. I also kidded public address announcer Jared (J-Bone) Stillman about being up there in shorts and sandals. He offered a well-thought out and lucid response. 


While walking to the press box I noticed Shoni, Tia and Sherrone in attendance cheering on the squad. We've been told that Shoni's a pretty good softball player, in addition to her hoop skills. Wonder what kind of eye-popping, incredible moves she has on the diamond? No-look throws to first base after fielding grounders? Picture perfect tosses to home plate from way beyond the outfield warning track? 


Earlier, I had jokingly yelled out to Pitt's Chrissa Throckmorton to 'take it easy on us' when she was standing in front of me in left field....we wanted to stay undefeated. She obviously takes direction and commands well by striking out with the bags loaded...but she is a talented freshman for the Panthers and will prosper against ACC competition down the road. 


Tori Collins got the start and the win for Louisville, going four innings...striking out five, allowing one run and five hits. Chelsea Leonard earned the save...going three innings and giving up one hit while fanning four.   


GAME TWO


I returned to the outfield for the start of game two and Louisville jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kristin Austin scored after reaching first on a error, stole second and came home on a Taner Fowler's fielders' choice.

Bill Hancock was in attendance at three different UofL
sporting venues Saturday. Looks like that plan to get
him out of the house is working, Barb...

I also ran into buddy Bill Hancock on the path that circles the outfield. Talk about a busy Saturday...he had already been to watch football practice, the baseball game and was planning on heading home in time to watch the men's basketball game. 


Wonder if he caught a jet and flew up to South Bend to take in a little lacrosse? Bill's a great guy and does a lot of things with the Central Cardinal Club. His wife Barbara is an avid Cardinal fan as well and we sat with them at many UofL women's and men's basketball games for years. They also help organize and run road trips each year for women's basketball and baseball. 


Pitt took the lead with two runs in the top of the third but Louisville once again used the fourth inning to explode. Trimble drew a walk, Ruckenbrod reached on a fielders' choice...Trimble safe at second and Whitney Arion lifted a deep fly to (you guessed it) left-center that landed about 10 feet behind me and rolled across Arthur Street for the three-run homer. I joyously jumped up to retrieve the blast and returned it one of the Cards Care yellow shirt attendants. 4-2 Cards.

Friendly Cards Care attendants who were on the berm
with me.

I thought about hanging on to it and getting it autographed after the game...but I found out that a player who parks one out of the stadium gets the option of keeping the ball...so I gladly turned Arion's fourth home run ball of the season back over to Yellow Shirt custody. Send me a autographed practice ball, Coach Pearsall. 


Pitt made it 4-3 in the fifth when Maggie Sevilla blasted a shot over the (could it be??) no...it was to center field fence...the blast nearly landing in Cardinal WBB star Sara Hammond's lap. Her group returned the blast over the fence but was chastised for doing so by the yellow-shirt authority. As explained to me, what if the return throw hit a player on the head or interfered with play?


Always give the ball to a yellow-shirt, fans.


After the blast, Caralisa Connell gave way to Leonard...who finished the game for her second save of the day...holding Pitt score-less over 2.2 innings. Connell got the win, going to 9-0.


26-0. Game Sunday at noon. Head out for the sweep. 


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Glory, hallelujah! We're headed to New Orleans! 

The Cards are headed to New Orleans!! The improbable win, after being down by 11 after Erving Walker hit four free throws after a Rick Pitino technical, puts the Cards in the FINAL FOUR. 72-68...Louisville ending the game on a 23-8 run...Chane Behanan hitting the winner with 1:06 on the clock. 


Fitting that Louisville wins. All five commentators on CBS picked against them on Thursday night to lose to Michigan State before that game and then to lose to Florida after Louisville beat the Spartans. Keep choosing the opposition, Barkley and boys. 

Regional trophy (Courtesy @howielindsey)

Pitino is now 7-0 against former assistant and player Billy Donovan. That's gotta hurt. Even though some of those were Kentucky wins against Marshall...it's a whitewash. Donovan and Pitino are close, as evidenced in Billy the Kid's and Rick's post-game interviews, but only one survives and advances in this case. 

And...Louisville is in the FINAL FOUR! 




They'll face the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday. Time for revenge on the earlier season loss to them...


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Cardinal basketball fans delight in hearing public address announcer Sean Moth boom out "Threeeeeee Kyle !" or "Threeeeeee Becky !"when one of the UofL men's or women's basketball players hit one from beyond the arc. Over at Ulmer Stadium, though, "three" has a different connotation. 

Connell got a win in the
second game vs. Pitt.

For many softball fans, it's a description of the three pitchers on the current softball roster. The "three" have combined for some pretty amazing numbers so far this season inside the pitching circle. 


The Cardinal pitching staff of Tori Collins, Chelsea Leonard and Caralisa Connell have combined for 1.05 ERA and are holding opponents to a .166 batting average thru 24 games. They have tossed 12 shutouts and recorded 195 strikeouts in 159.1 innings of work. Through 26 games, Collins is 12-0, Connell is 9-0 and Leonard 5-0. All three have been named to the BIG EAST Softball honor this year for outstanding performances and Collins was chosen BIG EAST Player of the Week back on Feb 13th.

Tori Collins, a lefty, got the win
in the first game vs. Pitt.

Collins is a senior from Lafayette, IN. She wears #25 and is the tallest of the three at 5'10". Connell is a sophomore and stands 5'8". She's out of Murfreesboro, TN and has #13 on the back of her jersey. Leonard wears #10 and is a 5'8" red-shirt sophomore from Lexington, NC. They're three of four tallest on the softball roster...junior Alicja Wolny stands 5'9". 

Chelsea Leonard picked
up two saves vs. Pitt.

The pitching staff is a far cry from last season...when injuries had head coach Sandy Pearsall down to just freshman Connell and walk-on Katie Petrino from the women's golf team to choose from for a significant stretch during the season. 


A popular adage notes that "hitting fills the bleachers but pitching wins games" and it seems to be true for the Louisville softball team this year. 


The crowds are the largest in recent memory and the team is undefeated. Plus, UofL representatives toss out free peanuts and stuffed Cardinal Birds to the fans. All they're missing is Louie the Cardinal Bird and radio broadcasts. They will be on 11.1 WHAS TV locally for Sunday's game. Haven't tried to find that channel yet. 


Be sure to catch the Louisville Softball team in action as the spring progresses. They have 11 home games left...including today's noon first pitch against Pitt. In-state rival Kentucky visits on April 4th, and BIG EAST foes Rutgers, USF and Georgetown will be making visits to Ulmer Stadium. 


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Louisville Lacrosse lost a close one to Notre Dame yesterday in South Bend 13-11. The Cards led early 5-1 but couldn't prevent the Irish comeback.


Louisville is 2-6 on the season and 0-1 in the BIG EAST. The Irish improved to 7-0 and are 1-0 in the BIG EAST. Louisville has never defeated UND in lacrosse.


Rebuilding season for Coach Kellie Young. Have to go through those from time to time. The lacrosse team is in the midst of a five game road trip swing that ends Tuesday with a match against the Cincinnati Bearcats. 
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