Softball Plays Host to Eastern Kentucky Tuesday
April 16, 2007 | Softball
April 16, 2007
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -
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The University of Louisville softball team will take a break from BIG EAST Conference play when it hosts Eastern Kentucky Tuesday at 5 p.m. and Middle Tennessee at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
About Louisville
Louisville (25-16, 7-1 BIG EAST) is currently on a seven-game winning streak, dating back to the April 1 8-0 win over Rutgers at Ulmer Stadium. The Cards are hitting .294 as a team with six players batting over .300. Senior Audrey Rendon leads the way with a .360 average, 54 hits, eight doubles, six triples, 27 runs and 13 stolen bases. Sophomore Kristi Cunningham is hitting .331 with four home runs, five doubles, 22 RBI and 18 runs. Senior shortstop Courtney Moore stands at third on the team with a .328 average, a team-leading seven home runs and 29 RBI she is third on the team with 22 runs. Sophomore Brooke McCrain recently returned to action from a shoulder injury and now stands fourth on the team with a .327 average, 36 hits, seven doubles and 20 RBI. Freshman Melissa Roth rounds out the .300 hitters with a .313 average, 23 runs and 15.
With senior Catherine Bishop returning to the pitching rotation, the Cards are getting back to full strength in the circle. Bishop (6-6) carries a 1.86 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 82.2 innings while holdng opponents to a .209 batting average. Freshman Kristen Wadwell (9-5) has a 2.13 ERA with 64Ks in 98.2 innings. Sophomore Kassie Stanfill (10-5) stands in with a 2.39 ERA and 61Ks in 93.2 innings.
Last up for the Cards
Louisville improved to 7-1 in BIG EAST play with a doubleheader sweep of host Syracuse on Saturday. The games were originally scheduled to be played Friday, but were postponed due to inclement weather.
In the first game, the Cards took a 5-0 lead and never looked back as they went on to win 7-2. Freshman Rebecca Saksefski led the team with a 3 for 3, two-run, two RBI performance. She also notched her first career home run. Sophomore OF Kristi Cunningham also blasted her fourth homer of the season. Kristen Wadwell picked up the win and Catherine Bishop got the save. In game two, the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead, but the Orange responded with two runs in the sixth. U of L capitalized on five hits to put up four runs in the fourth. Freshman catcher Melissa Roth's RBI single scored the winning run and senior shortstop Courtney Moore's three-run double provided insurance runs. Roth was 3 for 4 with two runs. Wadwell picked up her second win of the day.
Cardinals vs. Eastern Kentucky
April 17- 5 p.m.
Series Record: Tied 3-3 - U of L has won last three matchups
Last meeting: April 5, 2006, Louisville won 8-0 at Ulmer Stadium Scouting the Colonels: EKU (19-22, 11-6 Ohio Valley) recently lost a three-game series to OVC opponent Samford falling 2-1, 8-7 and 2-0 on the weekend. The Colonels are batting .279 as a team and are led by Shyenne Hussey who is hitting .441 with eight home runs, 11 doubles and 38 RBI. Chanze Patterson is batting .333 with a team-leading 32 runs and 11 stolen bases. Kelsey Anderson (9-12) leads in the circle with a 3.26 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 128.2 innings.
Cardinals vs. Middle Tennessee
April 18- 5 p.m.
Series Record: U of L leads 2-1
Last meeting: March 24, 2006 - U of L won 4-0 at Ulmer Stadium Scouting the Blue Raiders: Middle Tennessee enters the game with a 22-22 overall record (11-6 Sun Belt). The Blue Raiders are coming off of a doubleheader sweep of Sun Belt opponent Florida International 5-0 and 5-3 in Miami. The Cards also defeated FIU 4-2 and 1-0 to start the season.
Middle Tennessee is hitting .274 as a team with Whitney Darlington leading the wasy, batting .336 with five home runs and 27 RBI. Martha Davis follows with a .331 average, four homers, 10 doubles and 21 RBI. Ashley Cline has a team-leading 30 runs and 25 stolen bases, which place her 20th in the country in steals per game. Lindsay Vander Lugt (15-14) carries a 3.10 ERA with 112 Ks in 192.0 innings pitched. Samantha Floyd (6-6) holds a 3.88 ERA in 74 innings of work.
Up Next
Louisville will travel to Notre Dame for a doubleheader on Saturday and then will meet DePaul on Sunday. Following the weekend, the Cards are idle until their final home weekend of the season when they play host to Connecticut on April 27 at 4 p.m. and Providence on April 29 at 11 a.m. in two BIG EAST matchups at Ulmer Stadium.
Bishop Named to BIG EAST Honor Roll
Senior Catherine Bishop was named to the BIG EAST honor roll on april 16. Bishop was strong in all three appearances this week as she continues to recover from stress fractures. She posted a 1.27 ERA, surrendering only two earned runs and scattering nine hits with nine strikeouts in 11 innings. She had two starts on the week and got a save. Bishop did not allow a run in league play while giving up six his and striking out four in seven innings.
Pitt Doubleheader Postponed
The University of Louisville softball doubleheader against Pittsburgh, slated Sunday, April 15 was postponed until a later date due to inclement weather and poor field conditions. A make-up date has not been set.
Cards Streaking
U of L has won seven straight games since an 8-0 win over Rutgers on April 1. Last year at this time, the Cardinals put together a 17 game winning streak, the longest in school history - which lasted from April 22 until the finals of the BIG EAST tournament.
In the last seven games, the Cards have batted a solid .338 as a team with senior shortstop Courtney Moore leading the way with a .455 batting average, two doubles and eight RBI. Senior third baseman Audrey Rendon follows closely with a .433 average, six runs and is a perfect 6 for 6 in stolen bases. Freshman RHP Kristen Wadwell has picked up all six wins, posting a 1.75 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 32.0 innings.
Bishop on the Mend Senior RHP Catherine Bishop left the championship game of the Maryland Terrapin Softball Invitational in the fifth inning with stress fractures. Since that time she missed 16 games while recovering - the Cardinals were 7-8 during that timeframe. Bishop made a return appearance for one inning and combined for a shutout in the 1-0 win over Indiana on April 4. Since her return, Bishop has made five appearances and posted a 1.50 ERA, giving up three earned runs and striking out 11 in 14 innings. She also picked up the save in the 7-2 Syracuse win. The Cardinals have gone 5-0 since Bishop's return.
Working Overtime
The Cardinals have played five extra inning games this season and are 4-1 in those games. Louisville defeated Florida International 4-2 (8); Liberty 4-3 (8); South Florida 3-2 (9); and Kentucky 7-6 (9). Their only extra-inning loss was a 3-2, eight-inning decision against Iowa. U of L owns a 25-17 all-time record in extra innings affairs with the most wins coming in 2000 - the program's inaugural season - when the Cards went 6-4 in extra innings.
Wadwell Named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week; Rendon Selected to Honor Roll
Kristen Wadwell was named BIG EAST Softball Pitcher of the Week and Audrey Rendon was selected to the league honor roll for the period ending April 8.
Wadwell posted a 2-0 record last week with a 1-0 win against Indiana and a 3-2 win over conference opponent South Florida. Against Indiana, she tossed six-inning no-hitter and combined with Catherine Bishop for the shutout. Wadwell went the distance in the 3-2, nine inning win over USF. On the week, Wadwell surrendered only two earned runs and nine hits in 15 innings, posting a 0.93 ERA and a .173 opponent batting average. She also recorded eight strikeouts.
Rendon batted .615 (8 for 13) on the week with a double, four runs and five stolen bases. She had at least one hit and scored at least one run in each of Louisville's games. Two of her runs scored proved to be game winners in a week in which all of the Cardinals' victories came by one run. Rendon went 3 for 3 with two stolen bases and scored the winning run in the 1-0 win over Indiana. She went 4 for 5 with one run - the game-winner - and three stolen bases in the 3-2 win over USF. Rendon also went 1 for 5 with two runs in the 5-4 victory over USF.
Cards Sweep USF 3-2 and 5-4
The Cards edged host South Florida 3-2 in nine innings in the first game and held on for a 5-4 win in game two Saturday afternoon in a BIG EAST doubleheader. In game one, USF took a 1-0 lead into the seventh, but the Cards tied the game in the seventh when pinch-runner Missy Vascil scored on Brooke McCrain's hit and an error on the play. McCrain struck again with a two-run single in the ninth. Kristen Wadwell went the distance to get the win, scattering nine hits and striking out four in nine innings. Louisville had eight hits in the game. Rendon led at the plate, going 4 for 5 with one run and two stolen bases.
In game two Louisville tied a season high with 13 hits. Moore was 3 for 3 with a double and three RBI. McCrain, Cunningham and Totten each had a pair of hits. Kassie Stanfill picked up the win, allowing three earned runs on six hits and striking out five in 5.0 innings of relief. Starter Catherine Bishop surrendered one earned run on two hits with a strikeout in two innings of work.
Cards Going Deep in the Deck
Louisville has been beset by the injury bug this season and, until recently, has been playing without three starters: senior pitcher Catherine Bishop, sophomore outfielder Brooke McCrain and senior outfielder Candi Hicks have all been recently sidelined due to various injuries. All three players are currently back in the lineup. Bishop and McCrain came back in the April 1 Indiana game which the Cards won 1-0 - and Hicks returned to action on April 14 in the Cards doubleheader sweep of BIG EAST opponent Syracuse.
McCrain Impressive in Return
Sophomore Brooke McCrain missed four games with a shoulder injury, but has been solid in her return. Since rejoining the lineup on April 4, she is hitting .333 (8 for 25) with two doubles and six RBI.
Rendon Sets Career Hits Record
Senior third baseman Audrey Rendon went 3 for 3 in the 8-4 loss to Villanova on April 1 and became the school's all-time career hit leader. She surpassed Keola Calderon's mark of 240 which has stood since 2003. Rendon now stands by herself with 255 career hits.
Wadwell Named to BIG EAST Honor Roll
Freshman RHP Kristen Wadwell was instrumental in Louisville's 3-1 performance in the Women 4 Women Softball Invitational, posting a 1.71 ERA against No. 6/9 Michigan, No. 7/8 Northwestern, No. 25 California and Liberty. Wadwell pitched in every game with two starts on the weekend. She got the save in the Cards 4-3, eight inning win against Liberty, holding the Lady Flames scoreless, and without a hit and striking out one in the eighth inning. She also pitched 5.1 innings with a career-high six strikeouts in the 5-4 win over No. 7 Northwestern - although she did not get the win because the game was tied when she left in the sixth inning. Wadwell picked up the win against #25 California and did not allow a run in five innings of relief against No. 6 Michigan. She leads the team with a 1.68 ERA. She also batted .429 (3 for 7) on the week with two runs and an RBI. She went 2 for 3 with two runs against Cal and was 1 for 2 against Michigan.
Cards Go 3-1 in Women 4 Women Softball Invitational
The Cards went 3-1 in the Women 4 Women Softball Invitational over the weekend with wins over Liberty, No. 7 Northwestern and No. 25 California. The only loss came at the hands of sixth-ranked Michigan - which was coming off of a loss to Liberty. Louisville and Northwestern each finished the tournament with 3-1 records with the Cards winning the tiebreaker by virtue of head-to-head competition.
- Sophomore right fielder Brooke McCrain helped lead the Cardinals offensively to a 3-1 record in the Women 4 Women Softball Invitational. She batted .417 (5 for 12) with two doubles, three runs and was perfect in the field on the weekend. McCrain went 2 for 4 with an RBI in the 4-3, eight inning win over Liberty, was 1 for 2 with a run in the 5-4 win over No. 7/8 Northwestern and was 2 for 3 with two doubles and two runs in the 12-2 win over No. 25 California.
Rendon Named to BIG EAST Honor Roll
Audrey Rendon was named to the BIG EAST honor roll on March 19 after leading the Cardinals offensively on the week. The senior third baseman batted .500 (10 for 20) on the week with two doubles, two triples, three runs and three RBI.
The Rendon and Moore Show (or Moore and Rendon)
Seniors Audrey Rendon and Courtney Moore have etched their names on nearly every Louisville offensive career and single season record. Currently, Rendon leads the team in hits (54), runs (27), doubles (8), triples (5) and stolen bases (13); while Moore leads in home runs (7), RBI (29), and walks (22).
Load `Em Up for McCrain
Sophomore Brooke McCrain is batting .833 with the bases loaded this season. She has had six at-bats with the bases juiced, and she has record five hits including a double and nine RBI.
Cards win Maryland Terrapin Invitational
U of L put together a 5-0 win streak to claim the Maryland Terrapin Invitational title. The Cards started the tournament with a 5-0 win over Princeton and then needed Brooke McCrain's two-run single in the bottom of the sixth to defeat the host Terrapins. The Cards didn't allow a run in the next two games, needing only five innings to dispatch Rhode Island 9-0 and Central Connecticut 12-0. The finals of the tournment pitted U of L and Princeton - this time the Cards won 6-1. Courtney Moore was named tournament MVP and Catherine Bishop, Kristi Cunningham and Brooke McCrain earned all-tournament honors.
Moore Named BIG EAST Hitter of the Week; Bishop Named to Honor Roll
Shortstop Courtney Moore was named BIG EAST Hitter of the Week for the period ending March 11. Senior Catherine Bishop was also named to the league's weekly honor roll.
Moore batted .471 (8 for17) with three homeruns, a double, nine RBIs and eight runs on the week as Louisville posted a 5-1 record, including a five-game winning streak to win the Maryland Terrapin Softball Invitational. Moore also posted a 1.059 slugging percentage and was named the tournament's MVP.
Bishop was named to the BIG EAST honor roll after posting a 3-1 record and a 1.33 ERA on the week while striking out 23 batters in 21 innings of work. She tossed two one-hitters - including a complete-game shutout against Rhode Island. Bishop picked up wins over Maryland, Rhode Island and Princeton en route to being named to the Maryland All-Tournament team.
Bishop Claims Career Strikeout Record
Catherine Bishop posted eight strikeouts in the 6-1 win over Princeton, moving to first place on the school's career strikeout list with 566. She also got the win in that game and is now tied for career wins with 65.
Rendon and Bishop Named to BIG EAST Honor Roll
Seniors Audrey Rendon and Catherine Bishop were named to the BIG EAST honor roll announced on March 5. Rendon led the team offensively on the weekend, batting .571 (4 for 7) with a run, two RBI and a stolen base. She went 3 for 4 in the 7-4 win over Akron.
Bishop did not allow a run and struck out 15 in 9.1 innings pitched over the weekend. She held opponents to two hits (0.69 batting average). Matched her career high 12 strikeouts while getting the complete game win in the 1-0 decision against Bradley. Bishop posted her second save of the season in the 7-4 win over Akron, holding the Zips to one hit and striking out three in 2.1 innings.
Bishop Owns Career Shutouts Record
Catherine Bishop is now in sole possession of the school's career shutout record with 27. With her first shutout of the season against Bradley (3/2), she surpassed Jessica Rak's career mark of 26 which has stood since the 2003 season.
Rendon Selected in National Pro Fastpitch League College Draft
Senior third baseman Audrey Rendon was selected in National Pro Fastpitch League College Draft. The Pueblo Colorado native was chosen by the Rockford Thunder in the third round.
The six teams of the NPF held a four-round draft of the NCAA elite college softball athletes. Players selected in the NCAA draft will be permitted to pursue any available roster spot on their assigned team after completing their college season. Due to NCAA regulations, an active college senior-athlete is not eligible to sign with her respective franchise until her 2007 college season is finished.
Major League Baseball is the Official Development Partner of National Professional Fastpitch in the category of women's professional fastpitch softball. The partnership, which began the fall of 2002, is part of The Commissioner's Initiative on Women and Baseball, a league-wide effort to help MLB and the 30 Major League Clubs build stronger relationships with female audiences.
National Pro Fastpitch is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The league, created to give elite female fastpitch players the opportunity to pursue a professional career in their chosen sport, has operated since 1997 under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL).
Moore and Rendon Racing Home
Seniors Audrey Rendon and Courtney Moore are in a race to see who can finish as the top run-scorer in Cardinal softball history. Rendon is currently in the lead with 146 while Moore has 142.
Cards Preseason Pick to Win 2007 BIG EAST Championship
Louisville has been selected to finish first in the 2007 BIG EAST Softball Preseason poll, voted on by the league's head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The Cards return six starters and 10 letterwinners from last year's team, including 2006 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-South region second team member senior Catherine Bishop. Also back for the Cards are three-time all-conference third baseman senior Audrey Rendon and two-time all-conference shortstop senior Courtney Moore. Three-year starter Candi Hicks rounds out a veteran senior class.
Bishop Named to ASA Softball Top 50 Watch List
Senior Catherine Bishop has been named to the Amateur Softball Association's "Top 50 Watch List" for the sixth annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered one of the most prestigious honors in women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. The 2007 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 33 schools and 11 different NCAA Division I Conferences.
Bishop, a senior pitcher from Adelaide, Australia was the 2006 BIG EAST Softball Pitcher of the Year, an All-South second team member and was named to the all-BIG EAST first team. Last season she led the league and was fourth in the nation with a 0.78 earned run average and finished with a school-record 30 wins. Bishop held opponents to a .178 batting average and tied the school record for career shutouts with 25.
Bishop helped lead the Cardinals to a program-record 45 wins and the 2006 BIG EAST regular season championship. In 2006, U of L also achieved its first national ranking and appeared as high as No. 17 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and No. 18 in the USA Softball polls. In addition, Louisville received its third consecutive NCAA tournament bid and advanced to the regional finals.
Moore a Member of the 200 Club
Courtney Moore went 2 for 3 with a home run in Louisville's 6-4 win over No. 21 Fresno State on Feb. 17. In doing that, she became only the fourth player in U of L history to have over 200 hits. Keola Calderon (2000-03) was the first member of the `club' with 240 career hits. Last season 2006 senior Lacy Wood became the second player to reach 200 hits and finished her career with 223. Moore's current teammate Audrey Rendon broke the 220 mark at the end of the 2006 season and now owns the school record with 255.
Softball Signs Six for 2007-08
Sandy Pearsall has announced that Chelsea Bemis, Heather Bochenski, Kaylyn Castillo, Morgan Melloh, Christina Roesel and Colby Wherry have signed National Letters-of-Intent to continue their softball careers at the University of Louisville in the fall of 2007.
Chelsea Bemis, a catcher/third baseman joins the Cardinals from San Diego, Calif. (Mount Carmel HS); Heather Bochenski, a shortstop/second baseman from Reno, Nev. (Robert McQueen HS); Kaylyn Castillo, a catcher/third baseman from Norco, Calif. (Norco HS); Morgan Melloh, a pitcher/first baseman from Fishers, Ind. (Hamilton Southeastern HS); Christina Roesel, a switch-hitting utility player from Morris, Ill. (Morris Community HS); and Colby Wherry, a shortstop from Goodlettsville, Tenn., played for Beech HS.
