University of Louisville
St. John's
Softball Splits with St. John's
May 06, 2007 | Softball
May 6, 2007
JAMAICA, N.Y.- - The University of Louisville softball team dropped a doubleheader to host St. John's 1-0 and came back to win 7-5 in eight innings to close the regular season Sunday. The Cardinals (33-23, 14-6 BIG EAST) will prepare for the BIG EAST tournament May 10-12 at Notre Dame.
In the first game, the Red Storm scored the only run of the contest in the bottom of the sixth when Loren Anguiano delivered a one-out single, moved to third on Roxann Struble's base hit and crossed the plate on Danielle Estrada's single.
The Cardinals had an opportunity to score in the top of the second when Kristi Cunningham led off the frame with a single, and took second on Kassie Stanfill's sacrifice bunt. Brooke McCrain and Rebecca Stanfill drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out. Saksefski was picked off at first for out number two. Sarah Totten followed with a walk to load the bases again, but St. John's starter Lisa Geer struck out Candi Hicks to get out of the jam.
U of L had another chance to push a run across in the top of the seventh. Totten registered a one-out single and Audrey Rendon walked to put the winning run at first with two outs. Geer got Melissa Roth to groundout to end the game.
Louisville starter Kristen Wadwell (12-8) took the loss, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out six in six innings. Totten went 2 for 2 to lead the Cards at the plate. The loss marked only the third time the Cards have been shutout this season.
Geer (10-21) got the complete game shutout win, giving up four hits with five strikeouts. Struble led the Red Storm offensively, going 2 for 3.
In game two, Candi Hicks' solo home run in the top of the eighth proved to be the game-winner as the Cards came back from a 2-0 deficit and then overcame a Red Storm rally that sent the contest into extra innings.
St. John's had an early scoring opportunity when they loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth. Brandy Reyes singled, Danielle Estrada walked and Stephanie Harris reached on an infield single. Wadwell got Montgomery and King to hit into fielder's choices for force outs at home and Ona Halladay to fly out to end the inning.
The teams played through four scoreless innings before St. John's put up two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth. Anguiano reached on an error. With two outs in the inning, Brandy Reyes doubled to set up Estrada's two-run double. Shauntaine reached on the second Louisville miscue of the inning and Spring Montgomery drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Wadwell retired Bionka King to stop the scoring.
Louisville capitalized on five hits, and a walk to take a 5-2 lead in the top of the sixth. Stanfill reached on a fielder's choice. McCrain and Totten followed with hits to load the bases. Brittany York drew a one-out walk to plate Stanfill. Hicks' two-run single scored pinch-runner Missy Vascil and Totten to give the Cards a 3-2 lead. Rendon followed with a two-run double.
The Red Storm answered in the home half of the sixth. Ona Halladay singled, Tami Hill reached on an error and Brandy Reyes drew a two-out walk to load the bases for Danielle Estrada's three-run double to tie the game at 5-5.
St. John's had a chance to push the winning run across in the bottom of the seventh when Harris led off with a single and moved to third when King reached on an error. Louisville third baseman Audrey Rendon tagged Harris off the bag to prevent the run when Halladay reached on a fielder's choice.
Hicks led top of the eighth with her first home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field wall to give the Cards a 6-5 lead. Roth followed with a double and Moore's single placed runners on the corners with one out. Roth crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kristi Cunningham to increase the lead to 7-5.
Wadwell (13-8) got the win, allowing five unearned runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings of relief. Catherine Bishop picked up her fifth save of the season with three strikeouts in the eighth. Stanfill, started the game in the circle and allowed one hit in 2.1 innings.The Cards had 11 hits in the game with Rendon's 3 for 5, two RBI performance. Roth was 2 for 3 with a run. Hicks was 2 for 4 with two runs and three RBI.
Geer (10-22) took the loss, giving up two earned runs on four hits and striking out two in 2.1 innings of relief. Starter Kim Lerch allowed five runs, four of them earned on seven hits with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Estrada led the Red Storm at the plate, going 3 for 4 with five RBI. St. John's wraps up the season with an 18-36 record (7-15 BIG EAST).
"I was happy with Kristen Wadwell's performance today, she helped keep us in the game and I was also pleased with how Catherine Bishop came in and shut the door on St. John's," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "In the second game, our offense came through with some timely hitting to help us pull through."
