University of Louisville
Youngstown State
No. 15 Softball Splits at Charleston Southern Tournament
February 20, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 20, 2010
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Freshman Chelsea Leonard tied a school record with 16 strikeouts as the No. 15 University of Louisville softball team defeated Youngstown State 7-4 Saturday. In the final game of the day, the Cards built a 3-0 lead, but ending up losing 9-4 to host Charleston Southern.
Against Youngstown State, the Cards jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Chelsea Bemis singled, Colby Wherry reached on a fielder's choice and Brittany York was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Vanessa James' two-run double. Alicja Wolny walked to load the bases again and Kristin Austin's base hit sent York home. Jordan Trimble earned an RBI when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score James and give the Cards a 4-0 lead.
The Penguins got on the scoreboard in the home half of the inning when Kristina Rendle was hit by a pitch and scored on Kim Klonowski's double.
Louisville added two more runs in the second when Melissa Roth tripled and scored on Chelsea Bemis base hit. Bemis moved to third when James reached on an error and crossed the plate when Austin beat the throw for an infield single.
The third inning saw the Cards score another run when Jennifer Esteban led off with a single, stole second, took third on an error and came home on Roth's sacrifice fly to make it a 7-1 game.
Youngstown State put up three runs behind Autumn Grove's three-run homer in the sixth. Klonowki and Vicky Rumph walked to set up Grove's two-out shot over left field to make the score 7-4.
Leonard (2-0) got the complete game win, allowing four earned runs on four hits and a school record-tying 16 strikeouts. She is tied with senior Kristen Wadwell, who set the school mark on March 13, 2009 against Eastern Michigan.
James paced the Cards offensively with a 3 for 4, two RBI performance at the plate. Roth, Bemis, Austin and Katelyn Mann each had two hits.
Cheryl Cale (0-2) took the loss, giving up seven runs, five earned, on 12 hits and striking out one in seven innings. Haley Thomas Klonowski and Grove each had hits for Youngstown State (0-4).
In the game against Charleston Southern, the Cardinals built a 3-0 lead, but the Bucs rallied to score a run in the fourth and seven runs in the fifth for an 9-4 win.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second when Alicja Wolny delivered a two-out double. Kristin Austin stepped up to the plate and fought off 11 pitches before connecting on a single to shallow centerfield to send Wolny home
Melissa Roth's two-run single pulled Louisville ahead 3-0 in the top of the fourth. Wolny walked and was lifted for pinch runner Tesha Paysen. Austin followed with a hit to set up Roth's double.
Louisville starter Kristen Wadwell carried a perfect game into the fourth inning when Charleston Southern's Shayla Cullum registered an infield single and came around to score on Jessica Peters-Brock's base hit to put the Bucs on the scoreboard and make it a 3-1 game.
CSU erupted for seven runs, highlighted by Peters-Brock's grand slam in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-3 lead. Kristin Kelleher led off with a hit and stole second. Melissa Adams walked. Megan Lombard and Megan Hall and Shayla Cullum followed with RBI singles to tie the game at 3-3. Erin Kegley was hit by a pitch to set up Peters-Brock's grand slam to make the score 8-3.
The Cards got a run back in the top of the sixth on Melissa Roth's RBI double which scored Austin who had reached on an error.
Lombard connected on a one-out solo shot in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 9-4 game.
Wadwell (3-1) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits in 4.1 innings. Tori Collins gave up three earn runs on three hits and struck out five in 1.2 innings of relief. Roth was 3 for 4 with three RBI to lead the Cards offensively.
Sondra Vetter (3-1) got the complete game win, giving up four runs, three earned, on eight hits and striking out seven.
U of L (7-2) will close out the weekend with games against Akron and College of Charleston Sunday.
