University of Louisville
Alabama
No. 3 Alabama Edges Louisville Softball 9-8
February 19, 2011 | Softball
Feb. 19, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - - The University of Louisville softball team built leads of 5-1 and 8-3, but could not hang on as third-ranked host Alabama (9-0) rallied to win 9-8 Saturday evening at the `Bama Bash.
The Cards (4-5) struck first when Jennifer Esteban led off with an infield single. An error on the throw sent her to second and she moved to third on a wild pitch. Kristin Austin's groundout plated Esteban to give Louisville a 1-0 lead in the first.
The Crimson Tide threatened in the top of the second. Cassie Reilly-Boccia walked, Jackie Traina was hit by a pitch and Olivia Gibson drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Ryan Iamurri hit into a fielder's choice which saw Boccia out at home. Caralisa Connell got Keima Davis to groundout to get out of the jam.
U of L added a pair of runs in the second to increase the lead to 3-0. Jordan Trimble registered a leadoff single and took second on Taner Fowler's sacrifice bunt. Maggie Ruckenbrod's base hit placed runners on the corners for Katie Keller whose RBI groundout scored Timble. Esteban followed with a single and pinch-runner Katelyn Mann came home on a passed ball.
Alabama got on the scoreboard in the top of the third when Kayla Braud broke up Connell's no-hitter with a single. Whitney Larsen drew a one-out walk. Traina's two-out RBI single scored Braud to make the score 3-1.
Louisville tallied two more runs behind Chelsea Bemis' two-run homer in the bottom of the third. Colby Wherry drew a one-out walk and Bemis worked the count full while fouling off five pitches before taking the eleventh pitch of the at-bat over the right field fence to make it a 5-1 game.
The Crimson Tide got a run back in the top of the fourth to make the score 5-2. Davis connected on a one-out single and came around to score when Fenton reached on a three-base error.
In the top of the fifth, Traina punched a one-out blast over the center field fence to pull the Tide within two runs.
The Cards answered in the home half of the inning, using three hits and three walks to score three runs - all with two outs. Bemis drew a two-out walk and Trimble followed with a hit. Back-to-back RBI singles by Fowler and Ruckenbrod plated pinch-runner Chelsea Jordan and Trimble. Keller walked to load the bases. Esteban drew a walk to send Fowler home and increase the lead to 8-3.
Alabama countered with four runs in the sixth. Davis led off the sixth with a shot over the centerfield fence to make the score 8-4. Singles by Fenton and Larsen set up Reilly-Boccia's three-run homer to pull the Crimson Tide within a run.
In the top of the seventh, pinch-hitter Kaila Hunt drew a one-out walk and Davis followed with a two-run shot over left center field to take the 9-8 lead.
Tori Collins (2-3) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on five hits and striking out three in 1.1 innings of relief. Esteban, Trimble, Fowler and Ruckenbrod each had two hits for the Cardinals.
Kelsi Dunne (5-0) got the win, holding the Cards scoreless and striking out three in two innings of relief. Davis was 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs to lead the Crimson Tide.
U of L (4-5) will face UT-San Antonio Sunday at noon (Eastern).
