Monday Cardinal Couple -- Softball fells LSU , Hoops ends regular season tonight

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- LeCoq closes door on Tigers

- Syracuse vs. Louisville in WBB tonight


The start was shaky for the #15 Louisville softball team Sunday in the Citrus Classic but the end result successful as the Cards defeat #11 LSU 6-2.

Starter Caralisa Connell was having "one of those afternoons" ...loading the bags with three straight walks in the second inning. A wild pitch made it 2-0 LSU and a fourth base on balls loaded the bases again with two outs.

Exit Connell, enter Rachel LeCoq. End LSU threat with a strike out.

Louisville responded in the top of the third against LSU pitcher Rachelle Fico. Katie Keller singled and reached home on a Alicja Wolny double. Maggie Ruckenbrod's base hit plated Wolny and the Cards had tied the game.

UofL took the lead in the fifth inning, Keller scoring after receiving a base on balls and scoring on a Ruckenbrod fielders' choice.

The Cardinals increased the lead to 5-2 with a couple of runs in the sixth. Hannan Kiyohara singled and scored with two outs on a Jennifer Esteban hit. Esteban got greeted at home as well when Keller delivered a single.

Maggie Ruckenbrod delivered an insurance run in the final inning with a bomber over the left field fence to make it 6-2...her first home run of the season.

LeCoq (7-1) with the clutch relief performance...holding LSU to just three hits and no runs in 5.1 innings. The Cards produced 11 hits total.

"This was a great day for Louisville softball. I thought our team did a tremendous job and really came ready to play. A big key to our win was Rachel LeCoq shutting down LSU. I also thought we had great offense throughout the game." said Sandy Pearsall after the triumph.

Jordan Trimble has been sick and did not play. Jasmine Smithson-Willett has been battling a stress fracture but saw limited action. Hoping two of my favorite players on the team can get back to full time participation soon.

Louisville returns to Ulmer Stadium for the Red and Black Classic March 8-10. A good group of opponents coming in to play...Michigan, Miami (OH), Austin Peay and Illinois State.

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After a triple overtime loss Saturday to Villanova, no one could blame the Syracuse women's basketball team for looking for a little redemption tonight against Louisville. Although an NCAA bid appears to be a certain thing for the #22 Orange, who are 22-6 overall and 10-5 in the BIG EAST, the chance for a "double bye" in the upcoming BIG EAST Tournament hinges on a win over Louisville tonight.

Quentin Hillsman isn't a confident man.

" I worry about it every day. I'd be worried if we beat Villanova because we've been on both ends. We're not in that room with that little S-curve thing they talk about...Hopefully we come out Monday and have some legs left after this and win this Louisville game."

The Orange have an RPI of 46 and could fall no further than 6th with a loss to Louisville. The prevailing sentiment is that the NCAA will take eight BIG EAST teams...
(Connecticut, Notre Dame, Louisville, St. John's, Syracuse, South Florida, DePaul and Villanova.)...but a 'Cuse win would guarantee a nicer seeding...since SU has lost their last three games.

Louisville is guaranteed a top four finish and double bye in the BIG EAST Tournament regardless of how they do...they own the tie-breaker over St. John's if they end up at 11-5 in conference each.

The players that the Cards have to worry about? It begins in the paint with Kayla Alexander, the 6'5" do-it-all center. She and forward Carmen Tyson-Thomas had 22 points and 11 rebounds each against 'Nova Saturday.

Head Coach Quentin Hillsman will be active on the
sidelines tonight.

Guards Brittany Sykes and LaShay Taft are big-time ballers that will challenge the Cards. Elashier Hall a talented player who scores well in the 'Cuse offensive set. Rachel Coffey a great shooter who is also tough defensively.

Louisville has their work cut out for them. The Cards will need to go toe-to-toe with the aggressive, physical, chip-on-their-shoulder Orange and if Louisville can get the three-ball working (Laura Sweeney from Villanova blasted the 'Cuse from the deep Saturday) the Cards chances for success go up dramatically.

Game time 9 p.m. on the CBSSN network.

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Softball defeats IU 6-4

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THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Keller's blast leads Cards softball to 6-4 win


-A Derby to remember...the Watson files

The University of Louisville softball team improved to 44-2 with a 6-4 win over the Indiana Hoosier in Bloomington, IN. Wednesday afternoon. Stepping up for the Cards was Katie Keller...whose two run blast in the top of the fifth inning broke up a 4-4 tie and the base clearer proved to be all the Cards would need to secure the win.

Tori Collins started the game for Louisville at pitcher and survived a scare in the first inning when IU had a runner on second with just one out. Collins pitched out of the jam, though and retired the Hoosiers in order in the second inning.


Louisville wasn't putting a dent in Meaghan Murphy's pitching performance, though...going down 1-2-3 in the first two innings...and neither team had a hit going into the third inning.


The Cards changed that. With one out, Maggie Ruckenbrod doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on a Whitney Arion single to right. 

Ruckenbrod scored when Arion stole second and the IU catcher committed a throwing error. Jennifer Esteban reached next on a fielders choice and both scored on Kristin Austin's eighth  triple of the year to left field. Austin crossed the plate next on a Katie Keller fly out to right and the top half of the inning ended with Louisville up 4-0. 


IU rallied back. After a Murphy double off Collins, Jenna Abraham crushed a Collins pitch to center and it cleared the fence, cutting the Cardinal lead in half. Collins finally got her first out of the inning on a ground out, but Shannon Cawley reached on a Whitney Arion throwing error to first and Amanda Wagner hit her ninth homer of the year to right center to tie the game. 


Coach Pearsall had seen enough and Caralisa Connell came in to relieve Collins on the stripe. Connell got the Cards out of the inning with no further damage. 


Louisville took the lead for good when Esteban singled with one out in the top of the fifth and one out later Keller sent Mr. Spalding over the left field fence to make it 6-4 Cards. 

Connell encountered a late IU attempt to score in the bottom of the sixth. After walking Wagner, Connell got Samantha Berenter to go down swinging, Sandy Gogrieve to ground out and struck out IU catcher Cassie Gogrieve with Wagner on third to end the inning. 


Louisville had a chance to add to the total in the top of the seventh when Esteban singled with one out and was on third with two outs...but Keller lined out to center to end the inning. Connell retired the Hoosiers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to record her 15th win of the season against just one loss. She allowed no hits in 4 2/3 innings and struck out four.


44-2. A most incredible season so far and the Cards return home for their final home series of the regular season against Georgetown this weekend.


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(David Watson is a special columnist for CARDINAL COUPLE. These days, he's also a dad who is going through the rigors of having a teenage daughter getting ready to go to college this fall. HE takes a break from the drama to relate to us a special Derby memory today)

First of all, my column today is a really long one. Have a snack and hit the facilities before starting on it. 


It was 1995. I was a proud papa for the first time and struggling with academia, 3 a.m. feedings and panicking every time Andrea would cry, remain silent or even look at us funny. If you've been there, you'll understand. If you're there currently, hang in there. It gets easier after three kids. A whole new set of issues rise to the surface. 


We were shuttling back and forth between two cities on the weekends and entertaining at home as relatives, parents and friends all wanted to see this "Watson miracle" -- a baby produced by the guy who had sworn he'd never marry -- much less have a kid -- and the girl who knew all the Pat Benetar hits by heart. By the end of April, we were stressed, dealing with postpartum depression and needing a break. 


It was Sandy's parents who suggested the three day getaway. Take 72 hours for yourself. Get away, go find yourselves again for a few days and leave the baby with us. They were vets at this -- having five kids and 12 grand kids on their resume. We decided to do it and my cousin Billy invited us to Louisville for the first weekend in May. KENTUCKY DERBY time in the River City. We'd never been. Seen it on TV several times. Neither of us big horse racing fans. But, "cuz" was persistent, so we dropped off Andrea Thursday night with Chuck and Molly, hit I-65 South and rolled into Billy's around 9 p.m.


He was charmingly tipsy when we showed up and he's a funny guy when he gets that way. Was going on and on about a parade he'd been to, a boat race he'd attended the day before and how his wife Brenda wasn't speaking to him. He told me of how much money he and I were going to make at the track Friday and Saturday. Friday is Oaks Day in Louisville and the four of us were attending Churchill Downs for racing. Going to the "infield" (as he called it). Saturday is Derby Day and he had four seats in the grandstands for us. The evening flew by, his wife Brenda came home and kept us rolling in laughter with stories of her bunco club meeting that evening, while shooting him icy stares and ignoring him. We later learned that these were their "happy" moments. Oy vey. 


We slept that night in his basement with Ralph and Waldo, his two basset hounds. He had a full bar in his basement and around 3 a.m. I awoke, my back in screaming agony from sleeping on his roll out bed. While my wife snored, Ralph, Waldo and I had a few "nightcaps" 


The next morning it was off to the races for the Oaks. He had a parking spot within a couple of blocks of the track that he had gone to for several years. Winding through a maze of back roads and alleys around the track to get there, because of road closures for buses and the like, we arrived and parked in this guy named Mikey's back yard. We weren't the first there. Mikey greeted us with Bloody Mary's and solicitously asked us for $20. I forked over the cash and minutes later we were walking down Central Avenue toward the infield. 


Mint juleps are nasty drinks. Stop me if you've been there. They don't grow on you, either -- but they are wondrous for relieving back pain. Armed with a program, I sat on a blanket in the infield and studied the races ahead. A few minutes later, I got a nudge in the side from Billy. It was my first "topless" viewing of the day. And, unlike the mint juleps, those got better as the day went on. 


We were on the "backside" of the infield, pressed up against the fence and got to see the horses dash by us each race. Next to us was a group of Michigan State students. They had managed to smuggle into the infield 15 fifths of bourbon! I can't tell you how they did that because they wouldn't tell me. They had two coolers full of ice and we became close friends by the third race, despite my Notre Dame connection. By the eighth race, I quit betting. I was 1 for 8 on winners for the day and getting tired of staggering through the masses of humanity to the betting windows and losing each time. Billy, on the other hand, was having a phenomenal day. Hitting exactas, trifectas, across the board wagers and the daily double. He disappeared for about an hour during the course of the afternoon and came back to our blanket with an old high school friend. Can't remember her name, but the looks she got from Brenda I'll never forget. Fortunately, she staggered over to the college kids party and a few minutes later, we saw her "raise her shirt" as well. All in a day work.




Finally, it was over. I was down $120 dollars for the day, when you consider the wagering, beverages and food I had purchased. Billy was flashing 100's at me and tossed me a couple when he came back from the window after the final race. I protested at first, but eventually stuffed them into the front pocket of my blue jeans.


The rest of that day and evening are still a bit of a blur. We made it back to Mikey's, had a few Bloody Mary's and eventually made it back to the house. We visited a steak house. I think I ordered fish. I remember nodding off in the living room, listening to the three of them carry on about the day's events. I woke up with Ralph and Waldo in the basement. We repeated the previous evening's "nightcap" scenario and Saturday morning rolled around way too early. 


The difference between the carnal hedonism of Churchill Downs' infield and the sedate, stuffy seats of the grandstands is striking. We were sitting high in the stands, almost at the very end of the structure and I had an elderly dowager from the east end of Louisville sitting next to me, aloof and stoic. 


"I'm from Prospect." I can still hear her announcing. Billy told her he was from Pleasure Ridge Park. She looked aghast.


Aisle seats, though, and near the exit to the food, drinks and restrooms underneath the seats. We had parked at Mikey's again ($25 dollars for Derby Day) had the customary Bloody Mary but that is where the similarities ended. No shirt-raising, bottles of bourbon or blankets in the Grandstands. The mint juleps still tasted as nasty, though.


By the fourth race of Derby Day, I was bored out of my mind and went to wander the property. Billy wasn't having the phenomenal success of the day before and second-guessing his handicapping -- nose buried in the racing form. Brenda had Sandy engaged in non-stop chatter and I bolted. I had lost all three races I had bet and still had the two hundred dollar bills Billy had given me tucked in my wallet. In the grandstands, there are lines for everything. Food, drink, betting and mother nature breaks. 


I became the wandering vagabond. I decided to try and see if I could get to the legendary "Millionaire's Row" of Churchill Downs. With a bit of trickery and skulduggery, I made it to the clubhouse and to the third floor. My journey stopped there, though. Grim, unhumorous security attendants were keeping vigil. I headed back to the grandstand and was on a escalator when I heard a booming "David!". It was a colleague from Notre Dame behind me and we met at the bottom, talked for several minutes. He was there with another professor and was bored, like me. I told him of the previous day's exploits in the infield. 


"Let's go!" he exclaimed, and 30 minutes later we were out in the mix again. Two guys looking for ribald and seemy adventure. I took him back to the spot from the day before near the fence. The Michigan State crew was in full form and greeted me with cheers and guffaws at my sport jacket and tie apparel. 


By the eighth race, we were both buzzed and my friend was carrying on a conversation with a girl half his age. Mission accomplished, I bid my farewells, left him in the capable hands of the co-ed and headed back to the grandstands. 


My arrival was greeted with questions and inquisitions on my whereabouts. Billy was having a horrible day with his handicapping and Brenda had slightly twisted an ankle by stepping on a beer can en route to the "facilities". The vote was 2-2 on whether to stay or go -- now that the prodigal son had returned. I looked to the dowager for a tie-breaker. She had loosened up a little, several beer cups surrounded her feet, and she admonished.


"You can't leave before the Kentucky Derby is run!" 


That cinched it for me. I offered to go fetch food for all. It met with approval. Billy went with me and we made it back with 30 minutes before the Derby. I decided to bet the race. Sandy decided to go to the window with me. Down the steps I went again.


She liked the name Tejano Run and asked me to bet a "across the board" wager on the horse. She asked me who I liked. I told her that trainer D. Wayne Lukas had three horses in the Derby and I was going to bet each one to win. I had gleaned this information earlier from one of the MSU guys. 


"Hey, he has three going. One should win, right?" 


It made sense. I dug into the wallet. I had one of the hundred dollar bills left and a fifty from Billy's generosity. The teller looked at me. I gulped and told him I wanted $50 to win on each Lukas horse. He frowned and asked me for the horse numbers. I had left my program in my seat. Rookie error. He sighed and looked at his, next to his betting board. I asked him for Tejano Run across the board as well. $160 dollars handed over, four returned. My wife looked at me as if my hair was on fire. I shrugged. It was the Derby. The MSU boys thought it was a good strategy. It was Billy's money and I had "inside information."  


We got back to the seats with four minutes to spare. Billy was a Tejano Run fan as well. Considerably heavier than Sandy's six dollar wager. He had changed tactics. Place and show, no win wager. 


They started the race. All stood and screamed as the horses ran by us the first time. I yelled out the numbers of my horses. I couldn't tell who was where, but the dowager's husband had binoculars and was yelling out the numbers of the horses in the lead. I wasn't hearing my numbers. They hit the top of the stretch and I yelled my numbers louder. Then, as the crowd went crazy, a horse began to pull away from the pack. I looked at my program. The silks colors matched the #11 horse and Mr. Dowager confirmed. Thunder Gulch. I listened intently to the racecallers' report. It was Thunder Gulch! A D. Wayne Lukas horse! AT 25-1 odds. 


Thunder Gulch won the 1995 Kentucky Derby and paid $51 on a $2 win ticket. I got back $1275. Sandy got back $17 on Tejano Run's second place finish and Billy cashed in for $340. I still have the program where I wrote all that information down. It's in a frame in our upstairs hallway, next to a baby picture of Andrea.


We went back to their house that night and I laid the $200 Billy had given me the day before on their kitchen table. He accepted it and told me, with that, he was almost "even" for the day. Brenda was in a wonderful mood that night and Sandy and I retreated downstairs shortly after we got back to their place. I had driven us back from the track and the two of them were acting like two raging hormone teenagers in the back seat most of the drive. I had a celebratory drink with Ralph and Waldo and was asleep minutes after.


We used part of the winnings to re-do the nursery room for Andrea. My cousin Billy still talks about that day, that weekend. We haven't been to a Derby since. We watch each year on television, though and I call him and have him put $2 to win on any horse that D. Wayne Lukas has running in the Derby. I figure I owe D. Wayne that much. He and Brenda still go each year. Same seats, he takes his sons now. He sits there for the Oaks these days, too. Churchill Downs makes him buy for both days. He told me a few years back that the dowager queen passed away. Her husband attended a couple of years after that and then a real estate agent from Owensboro, KY was sitting there the next year with his wife. He says they're a nice couple.


Brenda had the first of their two sons almost nine months after our visit in 1995. I'd like to think I'm in some small way responsible. And, not in the way some of you are thinking.   


D. Wayne Lukas won the 1996 and 1999 Derbies too. He hasn't won since. I figure I'm still way ahead on him, though. 


( D. Wayne Lukas is the trainer of Optimizer this year but needs a couple of defections in order for the horse to run, since he is 22nd. on the earnings list and only 20 can go. ) 


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Cards romp Pitt 9-1 in Big East Softball Quarterfinal

Kristen Wadwell picked up the win for the Cards...who allowed only three Panthers hits in the 9-1 win.

Another case of Louisville jumping on an opponent early during Thursday night's game in Ulmer Stadium. The Cards struck for one run in the first and three runs in the second to build a lead that Pitt couldn't catch up with.

Louisville struck first with a double steal in the first inning that scored a run on a wild throw and after Pitt tied the game in the top of the second on a passed ball, the #3 seeded Cards got busy in the bottom of the second with (4) straight singles by Jordan Trimble, Kristin Austin, Vanessa James and Jennifer Esteban to go up by three.

Louisville sealed the deal in the bottom of the sixth when Alicja Wolny singled, Trimble crushed a triple off the right center fence and Austin singled her home. A Melissa Roth's double brought in Austin to make it 8-1 and Roth scored the game ender on a Esteban single and wild throw by Pitt.

Wadwell recorded eight strikeouts in 5 innings on the mound. Louisville recorded 13 hits against the #6 seeded Pitt squad and Esteban and Trimble went a combined 7-7 at the plate.

Other Big East quarterfinal action at Ulmer Stadium today:

(GAME 1)

SYRACUSE 4 - VILLANOVA 3

The 2010 Big East softball tournament started Thursday morning with a battle between #4 Syracuse and #5 Villanova. Under sunny skies and humid temperatures, the teams kicked off the 10 a.m. game with fireworks in the first inning. After Syracuse went down in order in the top of the first, Nova started with four straight hits, sent seven batters to the plate and jumped out 2-0 on the Orange.

They kept the lead until the top of the 3rd, when the 'Cuse responded with 3 runs, keyed by a Hallie Gibbs two run double. Syracuse would add an insurance run in the top of the seventh when center fielder Veronica Grant got to the plate on a fielders choice after drawing a walk to start the inning. Villanova mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, opening the inning with two singles...but winning pitcher Jenna Caira retired the next three batters, allowing one run on a passed ball at the plate.

Gibbs went 2-4 for the winning Orange, driving in 2 runs and scoring once. Cara went the distance on the mound, giving up 9 hits and striking out 3.

(GAME 2)

DEPAUL 3 - RUTGERS 0

An hour and fifteen minute rain delay interrupted the bottom of the first inning in the Blue Demons vs. #8 seeded Scarlet Knights battle. When play resumed, DePaul scored the only run it turned out they would need when Alex Morocco scored on Brittany Yniguez's fly ball to left field. Becca Heteniak tossed six innings of two hit softball and Bree Brown came in for the final inning for the #1 seeded Blue Demons.

Katie Voss crashed a two run homer to left center in the fourth inning to complete the scoring for the Blue Demons.

(GAME 3)

NOTRE DAME 6 - PROVIDENCE 2

Christina Lux continued her love affair with Ulmer Stadium, driving in four runs for the Irish in the win. The first baseman slapped a 2 run single in the first to put the Irish ahead to stay. Sadie Ritzenberg rattled the fence in the second for a 2 RBI double in the second inning and Lux completed the #2 seeded Notre Dame run total in the 3rd with a 2 run homer.

#7 seeded Providence rallied for two runs in their final at bat in the seventh but Brittany O'Donnell saved the win for starter Jody Valdivia, who left the game in the 5th inning after taking a line drive off the leg.

Friday's action wiil have the Orange facing DePaul in the 2:30 opener and Louisville battling the Irish at 5 p.m.

Softball Cards split doubleheader with Irish

Notre Dame pitcher Jody Valvidia tossed a one hitter at Louisville in the first game at Ulmer Stadium Saturday, leading the Irish to a 5-0 win. Louisville rallied in the second to defeat the Irish 4-1.

On what was a perfect day for softball attending, UofL's women's softball team split a doubleheader with the Big East leading Notre Dame (33-7, 11-1) squad.

Louisville (27-14, 6-4) couldn't get the bats untracked in the opener, falling behind to the Irish in the top of the 3rd inning after Katie Fleury doubled home two runs. The Cards would give up two more scores in the 5th inning on a Brianna Jorgensborg two run homer to left field. Notre Dame added an insurance run in the 6th when Christine Lux got to the plate on a Kristina Wright single.

Valdivia allowed Kristin Austin the only Cardinal hit of the game and struck out five Cardinals while going the distance for her 26th win of the season. Kristen Wadwell took the loss for the Cards.

The Cardinal rallied in Game Two, striking early when Chelsea Bemis singled home Vanessa James in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead. James would give the Cards two more runs in the 3rd with a bases loaded single. Notre Dame cut the margin to 3-1 off a 6th inning Heather Johnson home run blast. The Cards tacked on a run in the bottom of the 6th when Jennifer Esteban doubled down the left field line to score Katelynn Mann to complete the scoring.

Tori Collins tossed a five hitter at the Irish for her 9th win of the year. Esteban had three hits for Louisville.

A noon Sunday game completes the series.

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Louisville Lacrosse was busy at the other end of the Cardinal campus and delivered a 21-9 win over Jacksonville. The Cards surged out to a 14-4 halftime leads against the Dolphins. Bergan Folly tossed seven goals into the net for Louisville on fourteen shots and Liz Lovejoy added four goals for Louisville, who improved their record to 8-5.

I didn't get down to the lacrosse field to watch the action but Paul did make the walk and reports that about 300 fans were in attendance to watch the match.

Cardinal Lacrosse continues on Derby Eve (Friday) against the UConn Huskies.

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Hope everyone had a great Thunder Over Louisville. Despite the technical glitches that delayed the 9:30 fireworks start, it was another spectacular show. It was also pretty cold down by the river and it might have been a good year to view it on TV. We haven't missed one yet, though..and have been then for much colder viewings than last night's.

Thunder is the official kickoff to the many Derby festivities and events that lead up to the First Saturday on May race at Churchill Downs. It is one of my favorite, as well. We've gotten together with a group of friends that has steadily grown over the past 21 years to watch the air show and fireworks. Although the venue when we meet up and tailgate has changed several times...the abundant food, beverage and good times never fail to please and delight. Grills smoking, cornhole games being contested...the delightful mix of young and old laughing and camping out in lawnchairs...it never gets old or stagnant.

And, thank goodness for the roaring firepit that greeted us last night after the walk back from the river. I do love this time of year so...

Written by Sonja
4/18/10