|
Softball Opens Fall Season with a Pair of Shutout Wins over Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky
Sept. 28, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sophomore Whitney Arion went 5 for 6 with two doubles, a triple, two runs and two RBI and juniors Caralisa Connell and Rachel LeCoq combined on back-to-back one-hit shutouts to help lead the University of Louisville softball team to a pair of wins in the Louisville Fall Tournament. The Cardinals defeated Bellarmine 10-0 and Eastern Kentucky 1-0 Friday evening at Ulmer Stadium. "I thought both of our pitchers threw very well today," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "We need both of them to perform well and they definitely showed some good things today. Our defense was solid and I was really happy with our offense, particularly in the first game. In the second game I thought we took too many pitches, but credit to Eastern Kentucky's pitchers who kept us off balance." Louisville 10- Bellarmine 0 The Cards used seven hits to put up six runs in the second inning. Junior Katie Keller singled and scored on Arion's double to put Louisville on the scoreboard. Ruckenbrod blasted a two-run shot over the left field fence to make the score 3-0. Freshman Jasmine Smithson-Willett doubled and came home on Jordan Trimble's double. Senior Alicja Wolny's RBI single plated Trimble. Senior Jennifer Esteban walked and came around to score on junior Taner Fowler's base hit to make the score 6-0. Louisville tacked on two more runs in the third when Arion led off with a single to set up Smithson-Willett's two-run home run, increasing the lead to 8-0. Freshman Ally Vaughn's two-run single in the sixth plated Katelyn Mann and freshman Brittany Sims for the 10-0 final. Connell got the win, holding the Knights hitless and striking out four in 3.0 innings. Rachel LeCoq combined on the shutout, surrendering only one hit and striking out two in 3.0 innings of work. Smithson-Willett was 2 for 3 with a double and a home run while Wolny and Fowler also had two hits each. Alicia Miller took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned on seven hits in 2.0 innings. Ally Foster went 1 for 2 to lead the Knights offensively. Louisville 1 - Eastern Kentucky 0 The game featured a pitcher's duel with LeCoq and Connell allowing only one hit and Eastern Kentucky's Leanna Pittsenbarger and Hayley Flynn holding Louisville to four hits through six innings. With the score tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Ruckenbrod delivered a leadoff single and was lifted for pinch-runner Chrisanna Roberts who moved to second on Smithson-Willett's groundout. Mann drew a walk to place two runners on for Arion who smacked a double to left center, sending Roberts home for the game-winner. Connell picked up her second win of the day, striking out three and holding the Colonels hitless in 4.0 innings of relief. LeCoq allowed only one hit and struck out four in 3.0 innings of work. Wolny, Keller, Ruckenbrod and Soles each had a hit for the Cards. Hayley Flynn took the loss, giving up one run on three hits and striking out three in 2.1 innings of relief. Pittsenbarger scattered three hits and struck out three in 4.0 innings. The Cardinals will continue the fall season when they play host to Murray State Sunday at 2 p.m.
|
|
