University of Louisville
Syracuse
Softball Splits with Syracuse
April 19, 2009 | Softball
April 19, 2009
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - - The No. 17/18 University of Louisville softball team snapped a 10 game win streak with a 10-5 loss to host Syracuse but rebounded to take the second game 8-2 Sunday afternoon. The Cards are now 40-6 on the season and 15-3 in BIG EAST Conference play. Syracuse is 25-14 (11-5).
"Syracuse came ready to play today and their pitcher Jenna Caira threw a great game against us," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I credit our team for coming back and getting the win in the second game. I think we've been a little too anxious lately, but in the second game we were able to relax and hit the ball better. Kristen Wadwell also came out and pitched well for us in the second game."
In the first game, Syracuse belted out 14 hits en route to scoring 10 runs - the most given up by Louisville this season. The Cards, however, took an early lead with a run in the first. Kristin Austin walked, Chelsea Bemis reached on an error and Colby Wherry followed with an RBI single.
Hallie Gibbs' two-out solo home run in the bottom of the first evened the score at 1-1.
Louisville answered on Melissa Roth's two-run double in the top of the second. Brittany York reached on a two-out error and Vanessa James singled to set up Roth's double to left center field to give the Cards a 3-1 lead.
The Orange tied the game again in the home half of the inning with Rachel Helman's two-run double. Nicole Miller drew a leadoff walk and Lindsay Wasek delivered a two-out single for Helman's double to knot the score at 3-3.
Syracuse used six hits to break the game open with six runs in the bottom of third to take a 9-3 lead.
Louisville added two runs in the sixth. Chelsea Bemis led off with a double, Wherry walked and Kassie Stanfill singled to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Patrika Barlow walked and Brittany York was hit by a pitch to make the score 9-5.
SU tacked on a final run in the home half of the inning and Kassie Stanfill singled to load the bases.
Syracuse tacked on a final run in the home half of the inning. Jamie Kelling singled and scored on Miller's double for the 10-5 final.
Kristen Wadwell (33-6) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits and striking out two in 2.1 innings. Tori Collins entered the game in the third inning and allowed three runs, two earned on seven hits in 3.2 innings.
Jenna Caira (13-5) earned the win surrendering three runs, one earned, on three hits and striking out six in 5.0 innings of work. Wasek paced the Orange offensively, going 3 for 3 with four RBI.
In game two, Chelsea Bemis paced the Cards with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate including her eighth home run of the season. Melissa Roth and Kristi Cunningham also homered and Kristen Wadwell tossed a two-hitter as Louisville defeated Syracuse 8-2.
The Cards again took a 1-0 lead in the first when Austin was hit by a pitch, took second on Bemis' single and scored on Stanfill's RBI hit.
The Cards tallied two more runs in the third. Roth and Austin reached on errors and Wherry's infield single loaded the bases for Kristi Cunningham's two-run single to make the score 3-0.
Bemis led off the fifth with a solo shot over the left field fence to give the Cards a 4-0 lead.
Syracuse got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth. Watts broke up Kristen Wadwell's no-hitter with a leadoff double and Kelling was hit by a pitch to set up Miller's two-run double, pulling the Orange within two runs.
The Cards put up a six spot in the seventh. Roth led off the frame with her team-leading 12th home run of the season a solo shot that cleared the right field fence. Austin followed with a single up the middle, took second on a wild pitch and scored when Bemis blasted a double off the left field wall to increase the lead to 6-2. Cunningham's two-out homer in the seventh scored pinch-runner Megan Bivins increasing the lead to 8-2.
Wadwell (36-6) got the complete game win, scattering two hits and giving up two runs. Bemis led the Cards offensively, going 3 for 4 with two RBI. Roth was 2 for 3 and now owns the school's single season record for runs with 51.
The Cardinals (40-6, 15-3) have notched their fourth 40-win season since the start of the program in 2000. Louisville is five wins away from tying the record at 45 - set in the 2006 season when they went 45-11.
After entering the weekend in atop the BIG EAST Conference standings, U of L slipped to second place and will travel to conference-leader DePaul (31-9, 15-2) for a doubleheader on Wednesday.
