University of Louisville
Charlotte
Softball Clips Charlotte in Nine Innings, Second Game Halted
March 31, 2001 | Softball
March 31, 2001
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The University of Louisville softball team used nine innings and a school record 20 hits to defeat Conference USA opponent Charlotte 11-10 in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Charlotte.
The Cards began the scoring early when Kenzie Meisenburg reached first on a base hit and Coleen Coughlin reached on a walk, both scored on Melissa Jacobo's three-run homer to give U of L the 3-0 lead.
The 49ers capitalized on four hits, three walks and a Louisville error to pull ahead 5-3 in the bottom of the third.
Louisville regained the lead in the top of the second as Val Smith led off the inning with a single, moved to second on Christina Soto's sacrifice hit, advanced to third on Meisenburg's base hit and scored on Keola Calderon's single. Coughlin and Calderon crossed the plate on Candi Padilla's two-run double to make the score 6-5.
The Cardinals added another run in the third when Smith doubled and then scored on Christina Soto's double to give them a 7-5 advantage. Louisville added to that score in the fourth when Calderon led off with a walk, moved to second when Jacobo grounded out and scored on Padilla's double. Padilla scored on Nicole Sparks' base hit to make the score 9-5.
Charlotte began to chip away at the four-run lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth when Kiley Scott hit a two-run double, scoring Constantino and Kristen White to bring the score to 9-7. They used four hits and a walk to put up a three-spot in the fifth, pulling ahead 10-9.
U of L tied the game in the top of the sixth as Padilla drew a walk to reach, moved to second when Sparks singled and scored on Kristi Rozelle's double.
Both teams remained scoreless until the Cards broke the tie in the ninth when Calderon beat the throw for an infield single to lead off the inning and moved to second on Jacobo's base hit, advanced to third on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on a 49er error to give Louisville the 11-10 win.
Louisville's Tara McClure (11-3) entered the game in the eighth inning with the game tied at 10. She did not allow a run and gave up one hit.
Offensively for the Cards, Padilla finished the game batting three-for-four with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored, Calderon went three-for-five with two RBI and two runs scored, including the winning run, Sparks went three-for-six with an RBI, Smith went three-for-six with two runs scored and Jacobo finished the game hitting two-for-five with a home run, three RBI and a run scored.
Louisville improves to 26-12 (3-1 C-USA). Charlotte falls to 12-12 (0-4).
GAME 1Louisville 11 20 1Charlotte 10 12 3
In the second game, Louisville jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as Meisenburg led off with a base hit and moved to second on Coughlin's infield single. Meisenburg and Coughlin scored on Padilla's base hit. Jacobo drew a walk to reach first, moved to second on Padilla's single, advanced to third on Sparks sacrifice bunt and scored on a 49er error.
Charlotte got on the board in the bottom of the first when Stephanie Dunlap doubled and scored on Kristen White's double to make the score 3-1.
Louisville added another run in the second when Meisenburg reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Calderon's base hit to give Louisville a 4-1 lead. The Cards added two more in the third when Padilla led off with a triple and scored on Rozelle's double. Rozelle advanced to third on Smith's sacrifice bunt and scored on Christina Soto's base hit to give U of L the 6-1 lead.
The 49ers scored two in the bottom of the third when White's triple brought in Van Dam and Dunlap, both of whom had reached on walks.
The game was called in the fourth inning because of heavy rain. The teams will resume play in the top of the fourth inning with the score 6-3. That game will be followed by the final matchup in the three-game set.
