No. 23 BYU Tops Softball 4-0

Friday, February 24

Cathedral City, CA

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

7-5

BYU

7-3

Louisville

BYU

February 24, 2017 | Softball

Box Score BYU 4 - Louisville 0

Cards shut out for the first time this season

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The University of Louisville softball team fell 4-0 to No. 23 BYU on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Friday afternoon. The Cardinals (7-5) will conclude the tournament Saturday when they face No. 21 California and Cal State Fullerton.

"Obviously we are disappointed with the loss today," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I thought Maryssa pitched well and we played well behind her early on, but we were not consistent throughout the entire game and that's where we need to get better."

Senior Maryssa Becker went 2-for-2 from the plate and delivered six strikeouts in the circle, but the Cards were shutout for the first time this season in a 4-0 loss to No. 23 BYU.

The teams played through four and half scoreless innings before the Cougars (7-3) broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bunt singles by Caitlyn Alldredge and Brooke Vander Heide and an infield hit by Rylee Jensen loaded the bases. After a fielder's choice saw Louisville second baseman junior Jamie Soles team with catcher junior Jenna Jordan to get Alldredge out at the plate, Lexi Tarrow's two-out, two-run single put BYU on top.

The Cougars tallied two more runs in the home half of the sixth inning when Alldredge registered a two-out infield single and took second on a wild pitch. An error allowed Briiele Breland and she proceeded to steal second to place runners in scoring position for Vander Heide's two hit.

The Cardinals had an early chance to score when senior Jordan McNary connected on a one-out single and stole second in the first inning. Louisville put another runner in scoring position in the sixth after Becker singled and pinch runner freshman Celene Funke took second on a wild pitch.

Becker (6-3) took the loss, giving up four runs, two earned, on seven hits and striking out six in six innings.

McKenna Bull (6-0) got the complete game shutout win while allowing five hits and striking out five. Vander Heide went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run to lead the Cougars at the plate.