Cards Open ACC Play with 7-6 Walk-Off Win Against Pitt

Friday, March 17

LOUISVILLE, KY

4:00 PM

University of Louisville

PITTSBURGH

Cards Open ACC Play with 7-6 Walk-Off Win Against Pitt

March 17, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Louisville 7 - Pitt 6 Photo Gallery

Tiarra Sanabria's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh lifted the Cards to a 7-6 win over Pittsburgh

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Senior Tiarra Sanabria's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh broke a 6-6 tie and lifted the University of Louisville softball team to a 7-6 win over Pittsburgh in the Cardinals' ACC opener Friday evening at Ulmer Stadium. The Cardinals (16-7, 1-0 ACC) and the Panthers (14-9, 0-4 ACC) will play again Saturday at 1 p.m.

Sanabria, freshman Caitlin Ferguson and senior Jordan McNary had three hits apiece as Louisville pounded out a season-high 16 hits in the win. After a scoreless first inning Louisville went on to put up at least one run in each inning in a game that featured five lead changes and three ties before Sanabria's game-winning hit in the seventh.

With the score knotted at 6-6 in the bottom of seventh, leftfielder Jordan McNary connected on a one-out triple to bring the winning run to third. Intentional walks to senior pitcher Maryssa Becker and junior centerfielder Nicole Pufahl loaded the bases. Pittsburgh reliever Brittany Knight issued a strikeout to bring Sanabria to the plate. The Louisville first baseman delivered a bloop single to right field to bring McNary home for the win.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second when junior Jamie Soles singled and took second on junior catcher Jenna Jordan's sacrifice bunt. One out later, Ferguson's RBI hit put Louisville on the scoreboard.

The Panthers answered the next inning when Erin Hershman singled, stole second and crossed the plate on Olivia Gray's RBI hit to even the score at 1-1.

Louisville regained the lead in the third behind Soles' RBI double which plated Szydlowski.

Pitt used three hits including Hershman's two-run double to take a 3-2 lead in the fourth.

Once again, UofL countered in the home half of the frame – this time with an RBI double by Jordan and an RBI hit by Ferguson to take a 5-3 lead.

In the top of the sixth, Kaitlin Manuel delivered a leadoff double. A walk to Valerie Ortega and a bunt single by Hershman loaded the bases. A walk to Gabrielle Fredericks brought the score to 5-4 and kept the bases loaded with one out. Starting pitcher senior Maryssa Becker re-entered the game and delivered a strikeout followed by a walk to McKayla Taylor which tied the game at 5-5. An error allowed Hershman to score to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead.

In the home half of the inning, the Cardinals got hits by Pufahl, Szydlowski and Sanabria and capitalized on an error to tie the score at 6-6.

Pittsburgh had a scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth when errors allowed two players to reach, but a double play and a fielder's choice held the Panthers at bay.

"We're very excited to open up conference play with a win," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "Pitt's a very good team and they certainly challenged us in every way today. I feel very fortunate that we got out of it with some timely hitting when we needed it. Maryssa Becker pitched well and came back in to get us through the last two innings. Again, we need to play defense – that has been our Achilles' heel - if when we can control that part of our game, we're a really good team."

Becker (12-4) picked up her fourth straight win after allowing four earned runs on seven hits and striking out eight in 6.2 innings.

Knight (8-4) took the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, on nine hits and striking out three in 3.2 innings. Hershman went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and to runs to pace the Panthers at the plate.