Softball Splits on Day One of Red & Black Classic

Friday, February 26

Louisville, Ky.

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

7-3

Cleveland State

4-6

Cleveland State

Louisville

February 26, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Cards beat Cleveland State 9-5, fall 13-9 to Kent State

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team split a pair of games on day one of its home-opening Red & Black Classic Friday evening. The Cardinals defeated Cleveland State 9-5 in game one and fell to Kent State 13-9 in game two. Louisville (7-4) will take on Cleveland State at 1 p.m. and North Dakota State at 3 p.m. Saturday at Ulmer Stadium.

Louisville 9 – Cleveland 5
Freshman Megan Hensley went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs and got the win in the circle to lead the Cardinals to a 9-5 win over Cleveland State in their home opener.

The Vikings (4-6) jumped to a 3-0 lead behind Alyson Broschk's three-run homer in the top of the first. Susan Knight and Mackenzie Joecken each drew a walk to set up the score.

The Cardinals got a run back in the home half of the inning when leadoff hitter junior Jordan McNary drew a walk, too second on sophomore Nicole Pufahl's groundout and scored on Hensley's RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.

Louisville added two more runs in the fourth. Freshman Lillie Goetz connected on a leadoff single and was safe at second when senior Brittany Sims reached on a fielder's choice. Sophomore Jenna Jordan was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Sidney Melton whose fielder's choice saw Jordan out at second, but allowed Goetz to cross the plate. McNary's groundout send Sims home to tie the game at 3-3.

The Cards took the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth. Junior Maryssa Becker walked and was lifted for pinch runner Jessica Adell who moved to third when Hensley reached on an error and came home on senior Morgan Hart's RBI hit. A passed ball sent Hensley home to give Louisville a 5-3 lead.

In the sixth inning, the Cardinals used a walk and four hits – including Hensley's two-run homer - to take a 9-3 lead. McNary the offense started with a one-out walk. Pufahl followed with a single to set up Becker's two run single. Hensley took a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for her third home run to make it a 9-3 game.

After giving up a single to Knight in the third inning, Hensley went on to retire nine of the next 10 batters she faced entering the top of the seventh. Riley Ries led off the frame with a hit and took second on a sacrifice bunt. Sidney Morgan was awarded first base on a catcher's interference call and a walk to Mel Woodard loaded the bases with two out. Katelind Phillips delivered an infield single which sent pinch-runner Marissa Marcelli and Morgan home to make the score 9-5.

Hensley (5-1) got the win, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and registering a career-high five strikeouts in a complete game effort. She went 2 for 3 at the plate with a home run and three RBIs. Pufahl went 2 for 4 with a home run and Hart was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

Susan Knight (1-3) took the loss, allowing nine runs, eight earned on eight hits and striking out one on 5.1 innings. Broschk went 1 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Vikings at the plate.

Kent State 13 – Louisville 9
In game two, Louisville outhit Kent State 14-12, but the Golden Flashes connected on five home runs en route to a 13-9 win.

The Cardinals jumped to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when McNary led off with a single and Pufahl followed with her team-best fourth home run of the season.
The Golden Flashes answered with three runs in the top of the third. Michele Duffy was hit by a pitch and Arika Roush singled to set up Maddy Grimm's first home run of the game, a three-run shot over left center field to give Kent State a 3-2 lead.

Louisville got a run back in the home half of the third when Hart doubled. Lillie Goetz's groundout sent pinch-runner Jessica Adell to third and she score on freshman Jordan Vorbrink's infield single to tie the game at 3-3.

Kent State regained the lead with a six-spot in the fourth. The Golden Flashed used five hits and an error to score six runs, five unearned. Grimm's two-run double and Shelbi Tilton's two-single highlighted the top of the frame as Kent State took a 9-3 lead.

The Cards did not go quietly, picking up four runs in the bottom of the fourth. McNary led off with a hit and came around to score on Becker's double. Hart drew a two-out walk to place two on for Goetz's RBI single which plated Becker. Brittany Sims walked to the bases for Vorbrink's two run single which cut the lead to two runs making the score 9-7.

The Golden Flashes (10-1) used solo home runs by Tilton, Erika Warren and Jen Cader to push the lead back to 12-7 in the sixth.

Louisville added another run in the sixth when Hart delivered her second hit of the game, moved to third on a double by Goetz and came home on an RBI hit by Sims to make the score 12-8.

Grimm's second homer of the game capped the Kent State scoring in the seventh.

The Cards tacked on the final run of the day when junior Morgan Meyer led off the bottom of the seventh with a hit and took second on an error. McNary followed with a single to put two runners on,. Pufahl's groundout to second turned into a double play, but Meyer scampered home on the play to make the score 13-9.

Becker (2-3) took the loss, allowing 10 runs, five earned, on nine hits and striking out four in 5.0 innings. Hensley gave up three earned runs on three hits and struck out four in 2.0 innings of relief. McNary went 3 for 5 with two runs and Hart was 2 for 2 with a double and two runs and Vorbrink went 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Sims and Pufahl each added a pair of RBIs.

Janel Hayes (3-1) got the win, giving up two runs, one earned, on six hits in 3.1 innings of relief. Grimm led the Golden Flashes with a 3 for 3, two home run, six RBI performance at the plate. Tilton was 2 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs.