University of Louisville
Southern Miss<BR>(Conference USA Tourn.)
Softball Defeats Southern Miss 6-5 in C-USA Tournament
May 09, 2003 | Softball
May 9, 2003
HOUSTON - - Lisa Estes's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh scored Nicole Sparks to give the University of Louisville softball team a 6-5 win over Southern Miss in a late game Friday night. The Cardinals (24-25) will play No. 19 South Florida (52-16) in the semifinal game of Conference USA Championship Saturday at noon (EST).
Southern Miss got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Auriel Jenkins singled, moved to third when Tammy Edwards grounded out and scored on Sarah Boyd's hit to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals responded in the bottom half of the inning when Michelle Vasquez led off with a double, moved to third on Shannon Nord's hit and scored on a single by Nicole Sparks to tie the game at 1-1. Keola Calderon drew a walk to load the bases. Nord scored on a sacrifice hit off the bat of Aja Sherman to give the Cards a 2-1 lead. Sara Bausher's hit scored Sparks and a single by Estes brought Calderon home to give Louisville a 4-1 lead.
Southern Miss answered in the top of the fourth when Jessica Huerta connected on a two-out single to set up Heather Bell's two-run home run, making it a 4-3 game.
Huerta's solo home run in the top of the sixth tied the game at 4-4.
Southern Miss took a 5-4 lead in the seventh when Jenkins singled to lead off the inning, stole second, moved to third when Edwards grounded out, and scored on Boyd's groundout.
In the bottom of the seventh Nord led off with a single, took second when Sparks drew a walk, moved to third when Sherman grounded out and scored on a single by Bausher. A two-out single by Estes brought Nord home to give the Cardinals the 6-5 win.
Louisville's Krystle Herold (8-11) picked up the win in relief, allowing two earned runs on three hits in 3.1 innings. The Cards had 12 hits in the contest. Nord was 3-for-4 win two runs scored. Bausher was 3-for-4 win two RBI.
Southern Miss reliever Jessica Holaway (15-16) took the loss, allowing two hits and the winning run to cross the plate in 0.2 innings pitched. Offensively, the Golden Eagles were led by Jenkins who was 3-for-4 with two runs scored in the game. Southern Miss finishes the season with a 28-30 record.
