Cardinals Finish Second At Metrodome Softball Classic
July 21, 2000 | Softball
February 13, 2000
MINNEAPOLIS - Louisville opened its inaugural season with a second-place finish at the Metrodome Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., over the weekend.
In the semifinals, third-seeded Louisville defeated host second-seeded Minnesota 4-0. The Cards put up a four spot in the top of the fourth inning when Val Smith, Amy Pickering, Melissa Jacobo and Keola Calderon scored.
Offensively for Louisville, Smith went 2-for-4 and scored a run. U of L pitcher Tara McClure (2-1) pitched seven innings of shutout ball, allowing four hits and striking out nine.
In the championship game against top seed Alabama, the Crimson Tide opened up the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run by Suzanne Olcott. Kelly Kretschman, Ginger Jones, Kelley Askew and Christy Kyle also scored for Alabama to give the Tide a 5-0 lead.
Amy Pickering put Louisville on the board in the top of the fourth inning when she led off with a solo home run, her second of the tournament. Melissa Jacobo reached first on a base hit, advanced to second when Keola Calderon grounded out to shortstop and crossed the plate on Mandy Rockwell's single to left center to make the score 5-2.
Alabama's Kelly Kretschmann led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to give the Tide a 6-2 lead.
Louisville scored again in the top of the sixth when Calderon led off the inning with a base hit, advanced to second on a double by Candi Padilla and scored on a passed ball. Padilla advanced to third on the passed ball and scored on Coleen Coughlin's single to bring the Cards within two.
In the top of the seventh, Smith led off with a single, moved to second on a single by Pickering and scored on Jacobo's double to left field to bring the Cards within one. Pickering tied the game on Calderon's sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the seventh, Alabama's Kretschmann led off with a double, advanced to third when Jones flied out to left and scored on a bases loaded walk to give the Tide a 7-6 win Offensively for the Cards, Amy Pickering went two for four with a home run and two runs scored, Jacobo went two for four with a double and a run scored, Rockwell went two for four.
The U of L softball team finished the first weekend in program history with a 5-3 record and a second-place finish in the Metrodome Softball Classic. Louisville players named to the tournament team include: Val Smith, Keola Calderon, Melissa Jacobo and Jessica Rak.
