Friday, February 12
Corpus Christi, Texas
11:00 a.m.
University of Louisville
1-0
7
vs
0
Sam Houston State
0-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Louisville
0
5
1
0
0
1
0
7
11
0
Sam Houston State
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
4
Softball Defeats Sam Houston State 7-0, Falls to Iowa 1-0 on Opening Day
February 12, 2016 | Softball
Freshman Megan Hensley goes 4 for 4 with a home run and gets the win in the circle against Sam Houston State
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Freshman Megan Hensley went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double and scored two runs and tossed five shutout innings to lead the University of Louisville softball team to a 7-0 win over Sam Houston State in both teams' season opener Friday in the Islanders. The Cards fell 1-0 to Iowa in their second game of the day.
"I thought our defense did a good job despite having a lot of players who are playing out of position right now," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "In the Iowa game, we made one mistake and it came back to haunt us, but in general we saw a lot of great things defensively. In the circle, I thought Megan Hensley had a great day today. She came out and did a great job controlling the game and Maryssa Becker threw very well for us. Madi (Norman) is coming off of an injury and was a little hyped up and it wasn't her best outing, but she's going to have a lot of great outings to come. Offensively, I am disappointed. We're not swinging the bat as well as we should be and we're just not being aggressive and that's something we've got to change."
Louisville 7 - Sam Houston State 0
Freshman Megan Hensley's 4-for-4 performance at the plate paced the Cards who outhit Sam Houston State 11-3 en route to a 7-0 season-opening win.
The Cardinals used three hits and four errors to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the second. Sophomore Nicole Pufahl got the scoring started when she led off the frame with Louisville's first home run of the season. Hensley followed with a single and took second when sophomore Jenna Jordan reached on an error. Junior Morgan Meyer's hit loaded the bases and an error on junior Jordan McNary's fielder's choice saw Hensley safe at the plate. Another Bearkat miscue brought Jordan home to make the score 3-0. Meyer crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by Brittany Sims and the fourth error of the inning allowed Vorbrink to score.
Louisville tacked on another run in the top of the third when Hensley stepped up to the plate and sent a shot over the right field fence for her first career home run which made the score 6-0.
The Cards' offense continued in the sixth inning. McNary beat the throw on an infield single and stole second. Freshman Jordan Vorbrink registered her first career RBI double to give the Cards a 7-0 lead.
Hensley (1-0) got the win, holding the Bearkats scoreless and scattering two hits and striking out one. Maryssa Becker struck out three and gave up one hit in two scoreless innings of relief. Louisville out hit Sam Houston State 11-3 with five of their hits falling in for extra bases.
Tayler Atkinson (0-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs, three earned, on 11 hits in 7.0 innings. Dani Allen, Codi Carpenter and Tiffany Castillo each had a hit for the Bearkats (0-1).
"Megan really had a great day all the way around today," said Pearsall. "She's aggressive - she goes out attacking and that works - and that's why she was so successful today. In the first game, she just seemed to hit everything they threw her. Even in the second game, she had a very crucial time up to bat, fouled off a lot of pitches and almost got a big hit - it almost got through the hold. I've got to say in her first game as a freshman, she did a tremendous job."
Iowa 1 - Louisville 0
In game two, Maryssa Becker struck out nine and scattered two hits in 5.2 innings, but Iowa's unearned run in the third proved to be the only run in the game and the Hawkeyes held on to win 1-0.
After two scoreless innings, Iowa broke through when Sami Gyerman reached on an error, stole second and came around to score on a one-out double by Whitney Repole.
Louisville had an early hit by freshman Jordan Vorbrink in the first inning and a walk to Becker put two runners on, but Iowa's Elizabeth Wiegand and the Hawkeye defense held the Cards in check, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters. The Louisville offense stirred in the bottom of the sixth when McNary led off with a single and took second on Vorbrink's single. Becker's groundout sent McNary to third, but another groundout ended the inning.
The Cards had one final chance to push a run across in the seventh when senior Morgan Hart connected on a pinch-hit single. Pinch-runner Jessica Adell entered the game and stole second to move into scoring position with no outs. Wiegand got a pop-up and delivered back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Becker (0-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run on two hits and striking out nine. Sophomore Madi Norman got the start and held the Hawkeyes scoreless on two hits in 1.1 innings. McNary, Vorbrink and Hart each had a hit for the Cardinals.
Wiegand (1-0) got the complete game shutout, giving up three hits and striking out five.
Louisville (1-1) will face Iowa again Saturday at 11 a.m. followed by a game against host Texas A&M Corpus Christi at 1:30 p.m.
"I thought our defense did a good job despite having a lot of players who are playing out of position right now," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "In the Iowa game, we made one mistake and it came back to haunt us, but in general we saw a lot of great things defensively. In the circle, I thought Megan Hensley had a great day today. She came out and did a great job controlling the game and Maryssa Becker threw very well for us. Madi (Norman) is coming off of an injury and was a little hyped up and it wasn't her best outing, but she's going to have a lot of great outings to come. Offensively, I am disappointed. We're not swinging the bat as well as we should be and we're just not being aggressive and that's something we've got to change."
Louisville 7 - Sam Houston State 0
Freshman Megan Hensley's 4-for-4 performance at the plate paced the Cards who outhit Sam Houston State 11-3 en route to a 7-0 season-opening win.
The Cardinals used three hits and four errors to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the second. Sophomore Nicole Pufahl got the scoring started when she led off the frame with Louisville's first home run of the season. Hensley followed with a single and took second when sophomore Jenna Jordan reached on an error. Junior Morgan Meyer's hit loaded the bases and an error on junior Jordan McNary's fielder's choice saw Hensley safe at the plate. Another Bearkat miscue brought Jordan home to make the score 3-0. Meyer crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by Brittany Sims and the fourth error of the inning allowed Vorbrink to score.
Louisville tacked on another run in the top of the third when Hensley stepped up to the plate and sent a shot over the right field fence for her first career home run which made the score 6-0.
The Cards' offense continued in the sixth inning. McNary beat the throw on an infield single and stole second. Freshman Jordan Vorbrink registered her first career RBI double to give the Cards a 7-0 lead.
Hensley (1-0) got the win, holding the Bearkats scoreless and scattering two hits and striking out one. Maryssa Becker struck out three and gave up one hit in two scoreless innings of relief. Louisville out hit Sam Houston State 11-3 with five of their hits falling in for extra bases.
Tayler Atkinson (0-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs, three earned, on 11 hits in 7.0 innings. Dani Allen, Codi Carpenter and Tiffany Castillo each had a hit for the Bearkats (0-1).
"Megan really had a great day all the way around today," said Pearsall. "She's aggressive - she goes out attacking and that works - and that's why she was so successful today. In the first game, she just seemed to hit everything they threw her. Even in the second game, she had a very crucial time up to bat, fouled off a lot of pitches and almost got a big hit - it almost got through the hold. I've got to say in her first game as a freshman, she did a tremendous job."
Iowa 1 - Louisville 0
In game two, Maryssa Becker struck out nine and scattered two hits in 5.2 innings, but Iowa's unearned run in the third proved to be the only run in the game and the Hawkeyes held on to win 1-0.
After two scoreless innings, Iowa broke through when Sami Gyerman reached on an error, stole second and came around to score on a one-out double by Whitney Repole.
Louisville had an early hit by freshman Jordan Vorbrink in the first inning and a walk to Becker put two runners on, but Iowa's Elizabeth Wiegand and the Hawkeye defense held the Cards in check, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters. The Louisville offense stirred in the bottom of the sixth when McNary led off with a single and took second on Vorbrink's single. Becker's groundout sent McNary to third, but another groundout ended the inning.
The Cards had one final chance to push a run across in the seventh when senior Morgan Hart connected on a pinch-hit single. Pinch-runner Jessica Adell entered the game and stole second to move into scoring position with no outs. Wiegand got a pop-up and delivered back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Becker (0-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run on two hits and striking out nine. Sophomore Madi Norman got the start and held the Hawkeyes scoreless on two hits in 1.1 innings. McNary, Vorbrink and Hart each had a hit for the Cardinals.
Wiegand (1-0) got the complete game shutout, giving up three hits and striking out five.
Louisville (1-1) will face Iowa again Saturday at 11 a.m. followed by a game against host Texas A&M Corpus Christi at 1:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hensley, Megan (1-0)
L: Atkinson, T. (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Vorbrink, Jordan 1 ; Hensley, Megan 2
HR: Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Hensley, Megan 1
RBI: Vorbrink, Jordan 1 ; Sims, Brittany 1 ; Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Hensley, Megan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McNary, Jordan 1 ; Vorbrink, Jordan 1 ; Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Hensley, Megan 2 ; Jordan, Jenna 1 ; Meyer, Morgan 1
SB: McNary, Jordan 1 ; Adell, Jessica 1
CS: Pufahl, Nicole 1
Game Leaders
p/dp
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
RHP/1B
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballP/UT
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
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