Pufahl's Two-Run Single Lifts Cards to 2-1 Win Over Indiana

Wednesday, March 29

LOUISVILLE, KY

6 p.m.

University of Louisville

20-8

INDIANA

16-16

Indiana

Louisville

Pufahl's Two-Run Single Lifts Cards to 2-1 Win Over Indiana

March 29, 2017 | Softball

Box Score UL 2 IU 1 Photo Gallery

Nicole Pufahl's two-run single helped the Cards overcome a 1-0 deficit

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With her team trailing 1-0 in the fifth, junior Nicole Pufahl delivered a two-run single to lift the University of Louisville softball team to a 2-1 win over Indiana Wednesday evening at Ulmer Stadium. The centerfielder's game-winning hit backed a solid pitching performance by senior Maryssa Becker who surrendered one earned run and struck out five and did not walk a batter while scattering two hits in a complete game effort to push her record to 15-5 on the season.

"When we got some runners on, we were able to do something," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I thought Nicole did a great job at that at bat... She was calm in there, she took the pitches that she should take and then she capitalized on it. She didn't try to do too much, she just did what she needed to do - a base hit up the middle scored two runs easily for us."

After two scoreless innings, the Hoosiers (16-16) broke through in the top of the third when Aimilia McDonough led off the frame with a base hit and moved to second on Bella Norton's sacrifice bunt. Katie Lacefield singled and later stole second to put two runners in scoring position. One out later, Rebecca Blitz hit into a fielder's choice which sent McDonough home.

The Cardinals (20-8) broke through in the fifth when senior Morgan Meyer delivered a leadoff hit and an error on freshman Caitlin Ferguson's sacrifice bunt attempt put two runners on for junior Jamie Soles who followed with a sac bunt of her own to move both runners into scoring position with one out. Becker was intentionally walked to load the bases. Pufahl stepped up to the plate and ripped a hit to centerfield, which plated Meyer and Ferguson to put the Cards on top 2-1.

Louisville had a scoring opportunity in the sixth when back-to-back hits by junior Jenna Jordan and sophomore Megan Hensley put two runners on with one out, but Indiana's Rebecca Blitz made a diving catch in centerfield to rob Meyer of a hit and teamed with pitcher Tara Trainer and first baseman Taylor Uden to throw pinch-runner sophomore Blaire Bass out at first on a double play.

Tara Trainer (8-9) took the loss, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits and striking out two in six innings. McDonough and Lacefield finished the game with one hit apiece.

In addition to Pufahl's two-RBI performance, Soles also went 2-for-2 and Meyer went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI to help pace the Cardinals offensively.

UofL (20-8, 4-0 ACC) returns to action this weekend when the Cards host Notre Dame in a three-game ACC series April 1-3. Games two and three of that series will be televised on ESPNU with Monday's finale featured as part of ESPN's ACC Monday.