Saturday, April 9
Louisville, Ky.
2:00 PM
University of Louisville
25-8, 0
12
vs
3
Virginia Tech
20-18, 0
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Virginia Tech
0
2
1
0
0
3
6
4
Louisville
1
0
2
0
9
12
9
3
Softball Uses Nine-Run Fifth Inning to Beat Virginia Tech 12-3
April 09, 2016 | Softball
Cards score nine runs in fifth inning to break open a 3-3 tie
LOUISVILLE, Ky. –The University of Louisville softball team used a nine-run fifth inning to break open a 3-3 tie in a 12-3 win over Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium. Junior Maryssa Becker went 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs and got the win in the circle while freshman Megan Hensley hit a three-run walk-off home run to end the game in five innings.
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The Cardinals (25-8, 10-3 ACC) took a 1-0 lead in the first when sophomore Sidney Melton reached on a leadoff error, moved to third on Becker's double and scored on an infield hit by freshman Lillie Goetz. The teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Sunday at Ulmer Stadium. Both games will be shown on ESPN3.
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The Hokies (20-18, 9-4) used three errors and a hit to put up two unearned runs in the top of the second. Back-to-back errors allowed Lauren Duff and Kelsey Mericka to reach. Chelsea Whitcomb's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. For Caitlyn Nolan's RBI hit. Emma Strouth sent a grounder back to Becker but Mericka slid under the tag at the plate to put Virginia Tech up 2-1.
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Virginia Tech added an insurance run in the third when Olivia Lattin got the inning started with a double and moved to third on Lauren Duff's double, to put two runners in scoring position. One out later, Strouth's sacrifice fly pulled the Hokies ahead 3-1.
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Louisville answered behind Becker's two-run homer in the home half of the third. Melton delivered a leadoff single and Becker worked the count full before sending a shot over the fence in left centerfield for her seventh home run of the season to tie the score at 3-3.
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The Hokies had a chance to break the game open in the fifth when Smith and Duff connected on back-to-back singles and Whitcomb was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but Becker delivered a strikeout to get out of the jam.
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Louisville capitalized on three errors and used Sims' three-run triple and Hensley's three-run homer to score nine runs in the fifth. Hensley and Goetz reached on fielder's choices and an error allowed sophomore Jenna Jordan to reach and load the bases for sophomore Nicole Pufahl who walked sophomore pinch runner Jessica Adell to the plate. Sims ripped her first career triple to make the score 7-3. McNary reached on a two-base error to score Sims and junior Morgan Meyer. Becker followed with a walk to set up Hensley who drove a shot over the right field fence for team-best 11th homer of the season.
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Becker (14-5) got the win, allowing three runs, one earned on six hits and striking out two in 5.0 innings. Sims finished the game with a 1 for 3, three RBI performance at the plate. Every player in the Cardinals' lineup reached via a hit or walk.
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Maggie Tyler (15-10) took the loss, allowing 10 runs, two earned, on eight hits and striking out four in 4.1 innings. Duff went 2 for 3 with a run to lead the Hokies at the plate.
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The Cardinals (25-8, 10-3 ACC) took a 1-0 lead in the first when sophomore Sidney Melton reached on a leadoff error, moved to third on Becker's double and scored on an infield hit by freshman Lillie Goetz. The teams will wrap up the series with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Sunday at Ulmer Stadium. Both games will be shown on ESPN3.
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The Hokies (20-18, 9-4) used three errors and a hit to put up two unearned runs in the top of the second. Back-to-back errors allowed Lauren Duff and Kelsey Mericka to reach. Chelsea Whitcomb's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. For Caitlyn Nolan's RBI hit. Emma Strouth sent a grounder back to Becker but Mericka slid under the tag at the plate to put Virginia Tech up 2-1.
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Virginia Tech added an insurance run in the third when Olivia Lattin got the inning started with a double and moved to third on Lauren Duff's double, to put two runners in scoring position. One out later, Strouth's sacrifice fly pulled the Hokies ahead 3-1.
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Louisville answered behind Becker's two-run homer in the home half of the third. Melton delivered a leadoff single and Becker worked the count full before sending a shot over the fence in left centerfield for her seventh home run of the season to tie the score at 3-3.
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The Hokies had a chance to break the game open in the fifth when Smith and Duff connected on back-to-back singles and Whitcomb was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but Becker delivered a strikeout to get out of the jam.
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Louisville capitalized on three errors and used Sims' three-run triple and Hensley's three-run homer to score nine runs in the fifth. Hensley and Goetz reached on fielder's choices and an error allowed sophomore Jenna Jordan to reach and load the bases for sophomore Nicole Pufahl who walked sophomore pinch runner Jessica Adell to the plate. Sims ripped her first career triple to make the score 7-3. McNary reached on a two-base error to score Sims and junior Morgan Meyer. Becker followed with a walk to set up Hensley who drove a shot over the right field fence for team-best 11th homer of the season.
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Becker (14-5) got the win, allowing three runs, one earned on six hits and striking out two in 5.0 innings. Sims finished the game with a 1 for 3, three RBI performance at the plate. Every player in the Cardinals' lineup reached via a hit or walk.
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Maggie Tyler (15-10) took the loss, allowing 10 runs, two earned, on eight hits and striking out four in 4.1 innings. Duff went 2 for 3 with a run to lead the Hokies at the plate.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Becker, Maryssa (14-5)
L: Maggie Tyler (15-10)
Batting:
2B: Olivia Lattin 1 ; Lauren Duff 1
RBI: Kelsey Mericka 1 ; Caitlyn Nolan 1
SH: Chelsea Whitcomb 1
SF: Kelsey Mericka 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Olivia Lattin 1 ; Lauren Duff 1 ; Kelsey Mericka 1
SB: Caitlyn Nolan 1
HBP: Chelsea Whitcomb 1
Batting:
2B: Becker, Maryssa 1
3B: Sims, Brittany 1
HR: Becker, Maryssa 1 ; Hensley, Megan 1
RBI: Becker, Maryssa 2 ; Hensley, Megan 3 ; Goetz, Lillie 1 ; Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Sims, Brittany 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Melton, Sidney 2 ; Becker, Maryssa 2 ; Hensley, Megan 1 ; Adell, Jessica 1 ; Goetz, Lillie 1 ; Jordan, Jenna 1 ; Pufahl, Nicole 1 ; Sims, Brittany 1 ; Meyer, Morgan 1 ; McNary, Jordan 1
SB: McNary, Jordan 1
CS: Pufahl, Nicole 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ SoftballRHP/1B
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballP/UT
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
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