University of Louisville
CONNECTICUT
Softball Cards Tame Huskies
April 17, 2009 | Softball
April 17, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior Kristen Wadwell registered back-to-back complete game shutouts as the No. 17/18 University of Louisville softball team defeated visiting Connecticut 1-0 and 6-0 Friday at Ulmer Stadium. The Cards (39-5, 14-2 BIG EAST) have now won 10 games in a row - their longest win streak since the 2005 season. The Huskies drop to 25-14 (7-8).
In game one, the Cards capitalized on an error to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh when Kristin Austin and Chelsea Bemis each singled. Colby Wherry sent a grounder back to pitcher Rachael Crossin whose attempted to throw Austin out at third, but sailed the ball to the fence, allowing Austin cross the plate for the the 1-0 victory.
The game featured a pitcher's duel as Louisville's Kristen Wadwell held the Huskies to two hits with seven strikeouts and Connecticut's Crossin limited the Cardinals four hits and one unearned run while fanning seven.
The Cards squandered an early scoring opportunity when they used a hit and two walks to load the bases with one out in the first, but UConn starter Rachael Crossin retired Kassie Stanfill and Kristi Cunningham to get out of the inning.
Austin led the Cards offensively, going 2 for 4 with a run. Wadwell (32-5) picked up her seventh shutout of the season and issued only one walk.
"Both pitchers threw well," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "We and Connecticut are good hitting teams, but each team was kept off balance in the first game. It was going to come down to who would make a mistake at the end of the game. We've struggled against UConn over the past two years, it was good to come out and get two wins tonight."
In the nightcap, the Cards broke through early with six runs in the third. Austin started the scoring when her RBI triple scored Vanessa James who drew a leadoff walk. Bemis walked and Wherry reached on an error and Austin crossed the plate on the play to make it a 2-0 game. Kassie Stanfill delivered an RBI single, Cunningham reached on an RBI fielder's choice, Wadwell belted out a two-run hit, Brittany York connected on a sacrifice fly and James came back around and registered an RBI single to complete the scoring at 6-0.
The Huskies threatened to push runs across in the sixth when Julianne Towers, Micah Truax and Jillian Ortega all singled to load the bases with one out, but Wadwell retired Amy DeLuca and Justyne Roy to preserve the shutout.
Wadwell (33-5) went the distance as she added to her conference and the nation-leading win total, and notched her seventh shutout of the season, giving up six hits and striking out four. York finished the game batting 2 for 2 with an RBI, while Bemis was 2 for 3 with a run.
Jessie Stavola (4-1) took the loss giving up six runs, four earned, on seven hits and striking out three.
U of L will now travel to Syracuse for a doubleheader Sunday at 2 p.m.
