Softball Travels to In-State Rival Kentucky
March 09, 2010 | Softball
March 9, 2010
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
The University of Louisville softball team will travel to in-state rival Kentucky March 10 for a 5 p.m. matchup.
Louisville is coming off of a 1-3 performance in a four-game road swing in Oklahoma. The Cards lost to No. 24/25 Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Friday. They traveled to Oklahoma City for the Preview featuring Bedlam Tournament which was held at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, home of the Women's College World Series. In that tournament, they defeated Nevada, but fell to No. 8/11 Oklahoma. Louisville closed out the weekend in Norman, where they again fell to the host Sooners.
The Cardinals are led offensively by senior catcher Melissa Roth who batting .537 with seven doubles, 22 runs and 17 RBI. Senior Vanessa James follows with a .368 average, 14 runs, 10 stolen bases and nine RBI. Freshman Jordan Trimble rounds out the top three with a .327 average, seven runs and 13 RBI.
Sophomore Tori Collins (5-2) holds a 2.75 ERA with 51 Ks in 40.2 innings. Senior Kristen Wadwell (5-3) carries a 4.15 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 52.1 innings of work. Freshman Chelsea Leonard (4-0) has a 3.84 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 31.0 innings.
Cards Against the Wildcats
Series Record: UK leads 12-11
Last Meeting: April 28, 2009 - UL won 2-0
Scouting Kentucky: UK enters the game with a 14-5 overall record, after a 3-2 performance in the Buzz Classic with wins over Jacksonville State, Western Carolina and Liberty, and losses to Georgia State and Georgia Tech.
The Wildcats are led offensively by Natalie Smith, who is batting .421. Molly Johnson follows with a .373 average, 16 runs, 11 RBI, six home runs and 12 stolen bases.Chanda Bell(8-2) has logged a team-high 71.0 innings with 111 strikeouts.
Up Next
The Cardinals will return to Ulmer Stadium to face No. 5/5 Michigan and Hofstra (receiving votes in both polls) in the the Red & Black Tournament March 13-14.
The Week Ahead
Red & Black Classic at Ulmer Stadium
Saturday March 13
Noon Louisville vs. Hofstra
2:00pm Louisville vs. Michigan
4:00pm Hofstra vs. Michigan
Sunday March 14
Noon Michigan vs. Hofstra
2:00 pm Louisville vs. Hofstra
4:00 pm Louisville vs. Michigan
Card Notes
• Melissa Roth owns the career doubles record with 57, she surpassed Keola Calderon's mark of 53 which has stood since the 2003 season.
• Roth also holds the all-time record for runs with 167 - she passed Courtney Moore's previous high of 162 set in 2007.
• Vanessa James' three stolen bases against Houston tied a school record for stolen bases in a game.
• Roth recently snapped a career-high 12 game hitting streak. She has still found a way to reach via walk or being hit by a pitch in all but one of Louisville's games, the 2-0 loss to Ohio State.
Roth Sets School Record for Career Runs
Melissa Roth's run in the Feb. 27 5-3 win over Saint Louis gave her 163 in her career to set a new school record for runs scored. Roth surpassed Courtney Moore's previous mark of 162 which has stood since 2007.
Leonard Fans 16 - Ties School Record
In the February 20 7-4 win over Youngstown State, freshman Chelsea Leonard struck out 16 batters, and tied a school record. She matched senior Kristen Wadwell's mark set on March 13, 2009 against Eastern Michigan.
Cards No. 18/20 in Coaches' Polls
U of L is now No. 18 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Coaches poll, slipping four spots a week after matching its highest appearance.since March 24, 2009. The Cards dropped three spots to No. 20 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball coaches' poll released on March 2.
Louisville is in its 19th consecutive week in the national rankings. The Cards rejoined the top 25 on Feb. 17, 2009 after a two-year absence and reached as high as No. 14 - a program-best in 2009.
There's No Place Like Home
U of L opened the 2010 home season Feb. 26-28 with four wins at Ulmer Stadium. The Cardinals were tough at home in 2009, posting a 27-4 record at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville's first home loss came at the hands of No. 14/16 Ohio State on March 14. They strung together 19 more wins before fall 3-0 to Notre Dame on May 8 in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. The loss also marked the only time the Cards were shut out all season and the first time they had been held scoreless at home since April 20, 2008. Louisville closed the season with losses to No. 7 Arizona and Purdue in the NCAA Regional at Ulmer Stadium.
