Wadwell Named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
March 23, 2009 | Softball
March 23, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The University of Louisville's Kristen Wadwell was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the second time the season the league office announced on March 23. Melissa Roth was selected to the honor roll.
Louisville junior pitcher Kristen Wadwell (Sydney Australia) never left the circle in a pair of complete-game wins against USF on the way to BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors. Wadwell posted a 0.00 ERA in three complete-game performances over the weekend. The junior got the wins in the 5-4, nine-inning decision and 5-0 shutout against USF on March 20. Wadwell notched another shutout on March 22 in Louisville's 8-0 blanking of Rutgers. The four runs scored against the Cardinals in the first USF game were unearned. The unblemished week gave Wadwell her career-high 20th win of the season. Wadwell fanned five batters in each game for a weekend total of 15 and held opponents to a .162 batting average. Wadwell (20-3) now leads the team with a 0.96 ERA and has 141 strikeouts in 153.2 innings of work.
Junior catcher Melissa Roth (Long Beach, Calif.) helped lead the Cardinals to a 4-0 record on the weekend. She batted .545 (6 for 11) on the weekend with two doubles, two homers, five RBI and scored eight runs in the Cards' opening weekend of BIG EAST play. She had at least one hit and one run in each of the games, including a home run and a 3 for 3, three run performance in the 5-0 win over USF. Roth registered her fifth homer of the season with a two-run shot in the 8-0 win over Rutgers. Louisville's leadoff hitter posted an impressive 1.273 slugging percentage and drew four walks to help her to a team-leading .688 on-base percentage on the weekend. Roth is now second on the team with a .383 overall batting average and 23 RBI and leads the Cards with 28 runs.
The No. 15/16 Cardinals went undefeated in their first weekend of BIG EAST play with sweeps of USF and Rutgers. Louisville played its longest game of the season and improved to 4-0 in extra inning games with the 5-4, nine inning victory over USF on Friday.
Louisville (23-6, 4-0 BIG EAST) will play host to Indiana Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Ulmer Stadium.
