University of Louisville
South Florida
Softball Sweeps South Florida
March 30, 2002 | Softball
March 30, 2002
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team swept South Florida 2-1 and 8-0 Saturday in a Conference USA matchup at Ulmer Stadium.
The first game- a continuation of Friday's halted contest- resumed in the second inning with the score tied at 0-0. Louisville jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second inning as Nicole Sparks led off with a single and moved to third when South Florida misplayed Aja Sherman's sacrifice bunt. Sparks came home on Lisa McMillan's single to give the Cards a 1-0 lead. Lisa Estes sacrifice fly scored Sherman for the winning run.
The Bulls pulled within one in the fourth when Carmella Liwag led off with a single, and moved to second on Holly Groves' walk. Both players advanced on a passed ball and Ginny Georgantas drew a walk to load the bases. Renee Oursler's scored Liwag on a sacrifice fly to cut Louisville's lead to 2-1.
Louisville starter Jessica Rak (14-8) scattered three hits over seven innings and struck out five. Sparks went two for three with a run scored. Kenzie Meisenburg also finished the game batting two for three.
South Florida starter Corin Tassio (8-6) took the loss, allowing two unearned runs on seven hits in six innings. Groves, Stephanie Roberts and Rachel Williams each had a hit for the Bulls.
In the second game, Louisville grabbed an early lead when Meisenburg drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Sara Bausher's single. Bausher came home on a single by Sparks to give the Cards a 2-0 lead.
U of L added three runs in the fifth inning when Estes led off with a single and took second on a wild pitch. Meisenburg drew a walk and Bausher reached on a South Florida error to load the bases. Keola Calderon's sacrifice fly scored Estes to increase the Cards' lead to 3-0. Jacobo's base hit loaded the bases again. Shannon Nord's two-run single brought in Meisenburg and Bausher to make the score 5-0.
The Cardinals padded their lead with three more runs in the sixth inning. Sherman led off with a single and was replaced at first by pinch runner Hayley Yourous. Estes reached on an infield single. Yourous crossed the plate when Meisenburg reached on a fielder's choice, a South Florida error allowed Estes to reach second safely on the play. Meisenburg stole second and Sara Bausher was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A passed ball moved the runners, bringing Estes home for a 7-0 lead. Melissa Jacobo's double scored Meisenburg to give the Cardinals the 8-0 win.
Rak (15-8) picked up her sixth shutout of the season, again holding the Bulls to three hits and striking out two in six innings. Jacobo, finished the game batting three for four with a double and an RBI. Nord went two for three and drove in two runs. Estes also hit two for three and scored two runs.
South Florida starter Niki Trowell allowed eight runs, four of them earned, on ten hits and struck out four in 5.1 innings. Groves, Georgantas and Renee Oursler accounted for the Bulls three hits. The Bulls fall to 19-23-1 (5-5 C-USA).
Louisville (17-17, 5-2) will travel to Indiana University for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 2.
