Sunday, February 28
Louisville, Ky.
3:00 PM
University of Louisville
10-4
6
vs
3
Kent State
12-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Kent State
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
3
8
0
Louisville
0
0
0
0
4
2
X
6
7
1
Softball Rallies to Beat Kent State 6-3
February 28, 2016 | Softball
Cards overcome 3-0 deficit to beat Kent State 6-3
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A four-run fifth inning helped the University of Louisville softball team rally from a 3-0 deficit to beat Kent State 6-3 in the final game of the Red & Black Classic Sunday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.
Kent State (12-3) jumped on the scoreboard with a run in the second. Holly Speers and Shelbi Tilton connected on back-to-back hits. Bailey Brownfield's RBI hit plated Speers to put the Golden Flashes on top 1-0.
The Golden Flashes added two more runs in the fourth. Maddy Grimes' led off the frame with a home run over the left field fence to give Kent State a 2-0 lead. Shelbi Tilton reached on an error. Hits by Brownfield and Paige McCrary loaded the bases for Jen Cader's RBI single which plated an unearned run to make the score 3-0.
The Cards (10-4) mounted a comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Lillie Goetz got the home half of the inning started with a leadoff walk and sophomore Nicole Pufahl followed with a single. Senior Hailey Smith smacked an RBI double to put the Cards on the board. One out later, sophomore Sidney Melton ripped her first career triple down the right field line to tie the score at 3-3. Junior Morgan Meyer stepped up to the plate and executed a sacrifice bunt which saw Melton safe at the plate and gave the Cards a 4-3 lead.
Louisville added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when senior Morgan Hart led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch-runner junior Jordan McNary who proceeded to steal second. Hensley then powered a shot over the left field fence. Her team-leading fifth home run of the season increased the lead to 6-3.
"Great win," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I'm most proud of how our team responded after being down 3-0 and how we came fighting back. We had some great performances at the plate from Hailey Smith and Megan Hensley, who hits one out of the park for us to score two runs. Morgan Meyer, Sidney Melton - we had so many people come through with hits and helped us to pull ahead of them. What we're seeing from our team now is a great fight. They never die, they keep fighting back and that's how you win championships."
Hensley (7-1) got the win, holding the Golden Flashes scoreless on one hit and striking out two in 3.0 innings of relief. She also went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs to lead the Cardinals at the plate. Senior Maryssa Becker gave up three runs, two earned on seven hits and fanned seven batters in 4.0 innings.
Janel Hayes (3-3) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits and striking out one in 5.0 innings of work. Brownfield went 2 for 3 with a run while Speers was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Louisville (10-4) returns to action on Wednesday when the Cards travel to Nashville, Tenn., for a doubleheader at Lipscomb.
Kent State (12-3) jumped on the scoreboard with a run in the second. Holly Speers and Shelbi Tilton connected on back-to-back hits. Bailey Brownfield's RBI hit plated Speers to put the Golden Flashes on top 1-0.
The Golden Flashes added two more runs in the fourth. Maddy Grimes' led off the frame with a home run over the left field fence to give Kent State a 2-0 lead. Shelbi Tilton reached on an error. Hits by Brownfield and Paige McCrary loaded the bases for Jen Cader's RBI single which plated an unearned run to make the score 3-0.
The Cards (10-4) mounted a comeback in the bottom of the fifth. Freshman Lillie Goetz got the home half of the inning started with a leadoff walk and sophomore Nicole Pufahl followed with a single. Senior Hailey Smith smacked an RBI double to put the Cards on the board. One out later, sophomore Sidney Melton ripped her first career triple down the right field line to tie the score at 3-3. Junior Morgan Meyer stepped up to the plate and executed a sacrifice bunt which saw Melton safe at the plate and gave the Cards a 4-3 lead.
Louisville added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth when senior Morgan Hart led off with a walk and was lifted for pinch-runner junior Jordan McNary who proceeded to steal second. Hensley then powered a shot over the left field fence. Her team-leading fifth home run of the season increased the lead to 6-3.
"Great win," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I'm most proud of how our team responded after being down 3-0 and how we came fighting back. We had some great performances at the plate from Hailey Smith and Megan Hensley, who hits one out of the park for us to score two runs. Morgan Meyer, Sidney Melton - we had so many people come through with hits and helped us to pull ahead of them. What we're seeing from our team now is a great fight. They never die, they keep fighting back and that's how you win championships."
Hensley (7-1) got the win, holding the Golden Flashes scoreless on one hit and striking out two in 3.0 innings of relief. She also went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs to lead the Cardinals at the plate. Senior Maryssa Becker gave up three runs, two earned on seven hits and fanned seven batters in 4.0 innings.
Janel Hayes (3-3) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits and striking out one in 5.0 innings of work. Brownfield went 2 for 3 with a run while Speers was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Louisville (10-4) returns to action on Wednesday when the Cards travel to Nashville, Tenn., for a doubleheader at Lipscomb.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hensley, Megan (7-1)
L: HAYES, Janel (3-3)
Batting:
HR: GRIMM, Maddy 1
RBI: GRIMM, Maddy 1 ; BROWNFIELD, Bailey 1 ; CADER, Jen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GRIMM, Maddy 1 ; SPEERS, Holly 1 ; LUTHER, Allie 1
HBP: ROUSH, Arika 1
Batting:
2B: Goetz, Lillie 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1
3B: Melton, Sidney 1
HR: Hensley, Megan 1
RBI: Meyer, Morgan 1 ; Hensley, Megan 2 ; Smith, Hailey 1 ; Melton, Sidney 2
SH: Meyer, Morgan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McNary, Jordan 1 ; Hensley, Megan 1 ; Goetz, Lillie 1 ; Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Smith, Hailey 1 ; Melton, Sidney 1
SB: McNary, Jordan 1
Game Leaders
dp/p
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP/1B
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballP/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
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