University of Louisville
Providence
No. 25 Softball Sweeps Providence Doubleheader
April 01, 2010 | Softball
April 1, 2010
PROVIDENCE, Ind. - - The No. 25 University of Louisville softball team swept host Providence 9-2 and 10-1 in a BIG EAST Conference doubleheader Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals improve to 23-12 on the season and 3-2 in league play.
In the opening game, the Cards jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first when Vanessa James doubled down the right field line and scored on Alicja Wolny's base hit. Wolny came around to score on Colby Wherry's single.
Louisville used an error, three hits and a walk to add two more runs in the second. Kristin Austin reached on a leadoff error and Esteban and Roth followed with back-to-back hits to load the bases for James' RBI single. Jordan Trimble drew a bases-loaded walk to plate Roth and make it a 4-0 game.
Chelsea Bemis' three-run homer highlighted a four-run fourth. Roth led off the frame with a walk and moved to third on James' sacrifice bunt and Wolny's groundout. Roth came home when Trimble reached on an error. Wherry followed with a hit to set up Bemis' third home run of the season which made it an 8-0 game.
The Friars put two runs on the board in the home half of the fourth. Jen Abrams reached on a fielder's choice, Christy Becker was hit by a pitch and Justine Stratton's walk loaded the bases for Jenna Garcia's RBI single. Becker crossed the plate on Teresa Bartels bases-loaded walk to make the score 8-2.
The Cards added one more run in the seventh when Bemis and Brittany York drew consecutive walks to lead off the game, both runners advanced on Austin's sacrifice bunt and Jennifer Esteban's infield single scored pinch-runner Christina Roesel for the 9-2 final.
Kristen Wadwell (12-7) got the win, allowing two earned runs and fanning five while scattering four hits in seven innings. James and Wherry each had a pair of hits, Roth scored twice and Bemis accounted for three RBI in the game.
Alicia Grosso (4-3) took the loss, giving up four runs, three earned on seven hits and striking out one in 1.1 innings. Michelle Huber paced the Friars with a 2-for-4 performance.
In game two, Melissa Roth went 3-for-3 with a home run, four RBI and scored three runs as the Cards rolled to a 10-1, five inning win to clinch the series.
As they did in the first game, the Cardinals took an early lead again with three runs in the first. Roth was hit by a pitch, James singled and Wolny walked to load the bases. Trimble drew a walk to plate Roth. A passed ball sent James home and Trimble came around to score on an illegal pitch.
Providence got a run back in the bottom of the first when Huber singled, stole second and scored on Stratton's double to make the score 3-1.
The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the second as the Friars' pitching woes continued. Esteban and Roth led off the frame with consecutive singles. James' reached on a fielder's choice that sent Esteban to third but saw Roth out at second to place runners on the corners to set up a double steal to give Louisville a 4-1 lead. Wolny and Trimble walked and moved up on Wherry's fielder's choice. An illegal pitch sent Wolny home to make the score 5-1.
Louisville put up another pair of runs in the third when Austin doubled and then scored on Roth's double. An illegal pitch sent Roth to third and Trimble connected on an RBI single to give the Cards a 7-1 lead.
Roth's three-run homer in the fourth extended the lead to 10-1. Austin reached on a fielder's choice and Esteban reached on an error to set up Roth's team-leading 11th roundtripper of the season.
Tori Collins (7-3) picked up the win, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out one in five innings. Roth was 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
Danielle Bertolette (2-5) took the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on four hits. Providence falls to 8-15, 2-2 (BIG EAST).
The teams will meet again Saturday at noon for the final game of the series.
