University of Louisville
Western Kentucky
Softball Completes Sweep with 7-4 Win Over Western Kentucky
March 19, 2014 | Softball
March 19, 2014
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Katie Keller was 2 for 4 with a home run, a double and four RBI's to lead the University of Louisville softball team to a 7-4 win over host Western Kentucky.
After defeating the Hilltoppers (16-10-1) behind freshman Maryssa Becker's first career no-hitter, the Cardinals built a 7-0 lead and held on for a 7-4 win to complete a doubleheader sweep of WKU.
The Cards (16-10)took a 2-0 lead in the first when Jones drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Whitney Arion's bunt single place runners on the corners for Katie Keller's two-run double down the left field line. Two outs later, Brittany Duncan launched a towering shot over the scoreboard in right field. Her fifth home run of the season gave the Cards a 4-0 lead.
Louisville tacked on another run in the second. Morgan Meyer led off the frame with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. Maryssa Becker's two-out RBI single brought Meyer home to extend the Cards' lead to 5-0.
Keller's two-run homer gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead in the fourth. Arion delivered a leadoff single to set up Keller's first home run of the season.
The Hilltoppers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when Brooke Holloway connected on a one-out double and moved to third on Marley Harmon's flyout. India Steward's RBI hit made it a 7-1 game.
WKU added three more runs in the home half of the fifth. Preslie Cruce and Olivia Watkins delivered back-to-back singles to set up Kelsie Mattox's three-run homer to make the score 7-4. In the bottom of the seventh, a hit by Shawn Sadler and a walk to Mattox brought the tying run to the plate with one out. Becker entered to pitching and got Amanda Thomas to groundout which moved the runners to second and third. She then delivered a strikeout to Holloway to end the game and pick up her third save of the season.
Caralisa Connell (6-4) got the win, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out four in 4.0 innings. Rachel LeCoq gave up two earned runs on four hits and fanned four in 2.1 innings of work. Becker has not allowed a hit in her last 15 innings pitched. Keller was 2 for 3 with a double and a home run, four RBIs and two runs. Duncan was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run. Arion was 2 for 4 with two runs in the game.
UofL will return to Ulmer Stadium for its American Athletic Conference opener against Rutgers. The Cards and the Scarlet Knights will open league play with a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. They will conclude the three-game series at 12 p.m. Sunday. That game will be televised on WHAS11.2, Time Warner Cable 432, Comcast 207
