University of Louisville
Auburn
Softball Defeats Auburn 5-3 to Win FIU Combat Classic
February 08, 2009 | Softball
Feb. 8, 2009
MIAMI, Fla. - - The University of Louisville softball team completed play at the Florida International Combat Classic with a 5-3 win over Auburn Sunday morning. In a battle of undefeated teams, the Cards finished 5-0 to take the tournament crown.
"What a great opening weekend," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I'm excited with how we came out and played. We had great pitching and defense. Offensively, I felt we did a great job of executing and hitting with power. This sets the tone for the rest of the season."
The Cards took an early lead in the first inning on senior Kristi Cunningham's RBI double. A fielding error allowed leadoff hitter junior Melissa Roth to reach. She took second on Vanessa James' sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Chelsea Bemis walked to place two runners on for Cunningham, who drove the ball down the left field line to send Roth home, giving Louisville a 1-0 advantage.
The Tigers answered with a three-spot in the top of the second when Myesha Finney and Elizabeth Eisterhold delivered back-to-back hits and Lauren Guzman was hit by a pitch, loading the bases to set up Alexa Martinez's three-run double. Taryn Gray's sacrifice bunt sent Martinez to third and she was out at the plate while trying to score on Megan Mitchell's fly out to left field for the third out of the inning.
Louisville came back to score four runs in the home half of the second. Sophomore Christina Roesel led off with an infield single and was safe at second when senior Kassie Stanfill reached on a fielder's choice. Roth was hit by a pitch to load the bases for junior Vanessa James' two-run single which tied the game at 3-3. Roth came home on a, sacrifice fly by Bemis and James scored on a wild pitch to give the Cards a 5-3 lead.
Gray led off the frame with a single and Amber Harrison connected on a one-out single to place the tying run at first with one out, but reliever Kristen Wadwell and the Louisville defense retired the final two batters to get the win.
Wadwell (3-0) got the win, holding the Tigers scoreless with three strikeouts on five hits in six innings of relief. The Cards had five hits in the game.
Auburn starter Anna Thompson (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on three hits in 1.1 innings of work. Eisterhold and Gray each had a pair of singles as the Tiger amassed eight hits. Auburn drops to 4-1 on the season.
U of L (5-0) will travel to Las Vegas for the Slugger Desert Classic Feb. 14-16.
