University of Louisville
Houston
Softball Drops Two to Houston
May 04, 2002 | Softball
May 4, 2002
HOUSTON. - The University of Louisville softball team lost a Conference USA doubleheader to Houston 9-7 and 5-2 Saturday at Houston.
The first game of the day was a 2:37 marathon that saw three home runs and each team with 11 hits and three hours. Louisville got on the scoreboard early when Kenzie Meisenburg led off the game with a double and scored on a Houston error to give the Cards a 1-0 lead.
The Cougars responded in the bottom half of the inning when Leslie Seay beat the throw on an infield single and Riane Netardus reached safely on a bunt to set up Arelis Ferreris three-run homer to give Houston a 3-1 lead.
Louisville pulled within one in the second inning when Shannon Nord led off with a single, took second on Lisa McMillan's sacrifice bunt, moved to third when Aja Sherman fouled out and scored on Meisenburg's hit to make it a 3-2 game.
In the home half of the inning, Melissa Lynch and Lindsay Durham drew back-to-back walks and Netardus bunted again to load the bases for Ferreris who blasted a two-run single to increase the Cougars' lead to 5-2.
Louisville's Aja Sherman's led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run to make the score 5-3.
The Cougs added an insurance run in the fifth when Netardus reached on a two-out error, moved to second on Ali McDougal's single and crossed the plate on another Cardinal error for a 6-3 game.
U of L put up a four-spot in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. The scoring began when Nord led off the inning with a base hit, moved to second on McMillan's infield single and took third on a Houston error on the play. Sherman's hit down brought in Nord to pull the Cards within two. Lisa Estes' home run scored McMillan and Sherman to make the score 7-6.
The Cougars responded, however, in the home half of the inning, capitalizing on four walks, two hits and two wild pitches to score three runs to retake the lead and win the game 9-7.
Kelly Blois (0-4) took the loss in relief, giving up four runs, three earned, on four hits and striking out three in 3.2 innings. Meisenburg finished the game batting 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Nord also went 3-for-4, scored two runs and also had a stolen base. Sherman had two hits, drove in two and scored two runs.
Houston starter Jenny Johnson went the distance and picked up the win, allowing seven runs, five earned and striking out five.
In the nightcap, Houston began the scoring in the bottom of the first when Seay led off with an infield single, moved to second on a hit by Netardus and scored on a base hit by McDougal to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead. Ferreris singled and advance to second when the Cards threw Netardus out at home. Jenilee Skender's two-run single scored McDougal and Ferreris to give Houston a 3-0 lead.
The Cougars added another run in the second when Lynch drew a walk to lead off the inning, moved to second when Durham grounded out, took third on a groundout by Netardus and crossed the plate on an infield hit by Ferreris to give Houston a 4-0 lead.
Kim Nesloney led off the third with a triple and scored on a single by Seay to increase Houston's lead to 5-0.
The Cards averted the shutout in the fifth when Meisenburg singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Keola Calderon.
Louisville added another run in the seventh when Sherman drew a walk, moved to second on Nord's single, took third in a single by Meisenburg and crossed the plate on Calderon's hit to make the score 5-2.
Starter Krystle Herold (3-9) took the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits in one inning. Offensive, the Cards were again led by Meisenburg who went 3-for-4, stole a base and scored a run. Calderon and Nord each had two hits.
Jamie Falco (15-10) picked up the win for the Cougars, allowing two earned runs on eight hits in seven innings.
Louisville (24-26, 10-10 C-USA) and Houston (35-24, 9-13) will complete the series and close out the season Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
