Softball to Face Notre Dame in NCAA Regional

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville will travel to South Bend, Ind., to play host Notre Dame Friday, May 20 at noon. The four-team regional also includes ninth-seeded, No. 18 Northwestern (38-15) and Albany (35-12).

The Cardinals enter the NCAA tournament with a 42-18 record, its second consecutive 40-plus win season. Offensively, Louisville is hitting .313 as a team with sophomore third baseman Audrey Rendon leading the way with a .408 batting average, 49 runs, 10 triples and 26 stolen bases. Sophomore shortstop Courtney Moore follows closely with a .401 batting average, 14 home runs and 49 RBI. Louisville has an equally talented tandem of pitchers in sophomore Catherine Bishop and senior Aja Sherman. Bishop (21-8) leads with a 1.25 ERA. The second team All-C-USA selection is holding opponents to a .163 batting average. Sherman (21-10), carries a 2.10 ERA and has 257 strikeouts on the year while holding opponents to a .176 average. The 2005 C-USA Pitcher of the Year has posted a school-record 13 shutouts on the season.

Notre Dame (44-13) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as the BIG EAST Conference regular season champion and conference tournament runners up. The Irish are making their seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship and 10th overall. The Fighting Irish are led offensively by senior outfielder Megan Ciolli with a batting average of .387. In the circle, the Irish are led by junior Steffany Stenglein, the BIG East Pitcher of the Year. Stenglein owns an ERA of 0.98, ranking her 23rd in the nation and ranks sixth in the nation in strikeouts with 293 on the season.

The teams have met only once, with Louisville winning 4-3 on Feb. 16, 2002 at the Arizona Pepsi Challenge.


2005 NCAA Regional No. 9Ivy Field &#149; Notre Dame, Ind.Friday, May 20Game One: Notre Dame (44-13) vs. Louisville (42-18), 12 noonGame Two: Northwestern (38-15) vs. Albany (35-12), 2:30 p.m.Saturday, May 21Game Three: Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two, 12 noonGame Four: Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two, 2:30 p.m.Game Five: Loser Game Three vs. Winner Game Four, 5 p.m.Sunday, May 22Game Six: winner Game Three vs. Winner Game Five, 12 noonGame Seven (if necessary): Same teams as Game Six, 2:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Catherine Bishop

Courtney Moore

Audrey Rendon

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