Softball Splits on Final Day of 2016-17 Fall Season
October 01, 2016 | Softball
Cards fall 6-2 to Bellarmine, but rebound to beat Walters State 4-1
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team split a pair of contests on the final day of the 2016-17 fall season. The Cardinals fell 6-2 to Bellarmine, then rebounded for a 4-1 win over Wright State Saturday at Ulmer Stadium.
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Bellarmine 6 – Louisville 2
In the opening game of the day, the Cardinals jumped to an early 1-0 lead, but the Knights capitalized on four errors, four walks and six hits – including a three-run homer by Erica Knollman – to win the game 6-2.
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Junior Sidney Melton led off the bottom of the first with a hit, stole second and came home on an RBI single by sophomore Lillie Goetz to give the Cards a 1-0 lead.
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Bellarmine answered with a run in the third. Melissa Hammer singled and took second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a passed ball. Katie Stamper's base hit brought Hammer home to even the score at 1-1.
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The Knights used a hit and two errors to score two more runs in the fourth, bringing the score to 3-1.
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The fifth inning brought three more Bellarmine runs, courtesy of Knollman's homer. A walk issued to Olivia Russell and Ciara Incorvati's fielder's choice set up the scoring.
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Louisville added its final run in the bottom of the seventh when junior Alison Szydlowski connected on a leadoff triple and came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Blaire Bass to bring the score to 6-2.
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Sophomore Megan Hensley took the loss, allowing six runs, three earned, on six hits and striking out six. Melton, Goetz, Szydlowski and senior Jordan McNary each had a hit in the game for the Cardinals.
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Alexis Sumner got the win after giving up one earned run on two hits in 3.1 innings of relief. Starting pitcher Madeline Kurtz held the Cardinals to one earned run on two hits and struck out one in 3.2 innings.
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Louisville 4 – Walters State 1
Senior Jordan McNary went 3 for 4 with two runs and fellow senior Maryssa Becker went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and delivered 12 strikeouts en route to a 4-1 victory over Walters State in the second game of the day.
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The Cards jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when McNary singled and Becker followed with an RBI double.
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Louisville used RBI hits by Becker, sophomore Jenna Jordan and junior Nicole Pufahl to tack on three more runs in the third. Melton got the home half of the inning started with a  walk and took second on McNary's  bunt single. Becker singled Melton home and was lifted for pinch runner senior Morgan Meyer. After Jordan's RBI hit plated McNary, Meyer came home on Pufahl's base hit to give the Cards a 4-0 lead.
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Katelyn Davidson's solo home run put the Senators on the scoreboard in the fourth inning.
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Becker got the win after giving up one earned run on three hits and striking out 12 in five innings of work. Freshman Sydney Warriner held Walters State scoreless on one hit in two innings of relief.
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 Lora Thompson took the loss, giving up four earned runs on nine hits and striking out one in six innings.
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"Every time we take the field, it's a learning experience," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "Today we learned that it isn't enough to just show up for a game. I thought we came out flat, unfocused and had a lack of communication in the first game. In the second game, I thought we played a little better offensively and I liked what I saw from Maryssa Becker and Sydney Warriner. If we can take what we learned and continue to get better, we will be successful in the spring."
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Bellarmine 6 – Louisville 2
In the opening game of the day, the Cardinals jumped to an early 1-0 lead, but the Knights capitalized on four errors, four walks and six hits – including a three-run homer by Erica Knollman – to win the game 6-2.
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Junior Sidney Melton led off the bottom of the first with a hit, stole second and came home on an RBI single by sophomore Lillie Goetz to give the Cards a 1-0 lead.
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Bellarmine answered with a run in the third. Melissa Hammer singled and took second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a passed ball. Katie Stamper's base hit brought Hammer home to even the score at 1-1.
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The Knights used a hit and two errors to score two more runs in the fourth, bringing the score to 3-1.
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The fifth inning brought three more Bellarmine runs, courtesy of Knollman's homer. A walk issued to Olivia Russell and Ciara Incorvati's fielder's choice set up the scoring.
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Louisville added its final run in the bottom of the seventh when junior Alison Szydlowski connected on a leadoff triple and came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Blaire Bass to bring the score to 6-2.
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Sophomore Megan Hensley took the loss, allowing six runs, three earned, on six hits and striking out six. Melton, Goetz, Szydlowski and senior Jordan McNary each had a hit in the game for the Cardinals.
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Alexis Sumner got the win after giving up one earned run on two hits in 3.1 innings of relief. Starting pitcher Madeline Kurtz held the Cardinals to one earned run on two hits and struck out one in 3.2 innings.
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Louisville 4 – Walters State 1
Senior Jordan McNary went 3 for 4 with two runs and fellow senior Maryssa Becker went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and delivered 12 strikeouts en route to a 4-1 victory over Walters State in the second game of the day.
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The Cards jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when McNary singled and Becker followed with an RBI double.
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Louisville used RBI hits by Becker, sophomore Jenna Jordan and junior Nicole Pufahl to tack on three more runs in the third. Melton got the home half of the inning started with a  walk and took second on McNary's  bunt single. Becker singled Melton home and was lifted for pinch runner senior Morgan Meyer. After Jordan's RBI hit plated McNary, Meyer came home on Pufahl's base hit to give the Cards a 4-0 lead.
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Katelyn Davidson's solo home run put the Senators on the scoreboard in the fourth inning.
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Becker got the win after giving up one earned run on three hits and striking out 12 in five innings of work. Freshman Sydney Warriner held Walters State scoreless on one hit in two innings of relief.
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 Lora Thompson took the loss, giving up four earned runs on nine hits and striking out one in six innings.
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"Every time we take the field, it's a learning experience," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "Today we learned that it isn't enough to just show up for a game. I thought we came out flat, unfocused and had a lack of communication in the first game. In the second game, I thought we played a little better offensively and I liked what I saw from Maryssa Becker and Sydney Warriner. If we can take what we learned and continue to get better, we will be successful in the spring."
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Players Mentioned
RHP/1B
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
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