Softball Picks Up Two Wins at Red & Black Tournament

Saturday, March 4

LOUISVILLE, KY

12:30 PM

University of Louisville

GREEN BAY

March 04, 2017 | Softball

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Cards beat Green Bay 4-3 and Bowling Green 1-0

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Senior Maryssa Becker went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and got a win in the circle to lead the University of Louisville softball team to a pair of wins on day two of the Red & Black Classic Saturday at Ulmer Stadium. The Cardinals defeated Wisconsin-Green Bay 4-3 and Bowling Green 1-0 to improve to 12-6 on the season.

Louisville 4 – Green Bay 3
Green Bay (1-8) jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first. Allie Taylor's single to left field brought in the first run after Abby Brinkmeier connected on a one-out double. The Phoenix loaded the bases later in the inning, but freshman pitcher Sydney Warinner ended the threat with a strikeout.

The Cardinals responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Senior leftfielder Jordan McNary reached on a throwing error and two outs later scored on a two-out single by junior centerfielder Nicole Pufahl.

Louisville increased its lead to 2-0 in the third inning after a leadoff double by freshman shortstop Caitlin Ferguson, and an RBI single from senior Maryssa Becker.

Junior catcher Jenna Jordan led off the sixth with a double, and was lifted for pinch runner freshman Celene Funke who moved to third on a fly out by junior third baseman Ashley Nikolao. Junior Alison Szydlowski's pinch hit single. Szydlowski eventually came around to score on a groundout by Ferguson

Green Bay rallied for two runs in the seventh. Brinkmeier drew a leadoff walk, Chyanne Onstad singled and all runners were safe on a fielder's choice by Taylor to load the bases. One out later, an error on a play at the plated two runs and put the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. Pitcher Megan Hensley delivered back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

Hensley (4-2) got the win, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and striking out six in 4.2 innings of relief. Warinner allowed one earned run on four hits and struck out two in 2.1 innings after her first career start. Pufahl paced the Cards offensively when a 2-for-2, one RBI performance at the plate. Jordan went 2-for-2 with a double.

Katie Rossmann (1-5) took the loss after surrendering two runs, one earned, on four hits in 2.0 innings. Onstad went 4-for-4 with a run to lead the Phoenix offensively.

Louisville 1 – Bowling Green 0
Maryssa Becker's home run in the fourth proved to be the only scoring the Cardinals would need as she registered a season-high 10 strikeouts and scattered two hits while tossing her third shutout of the season.

The teams played through three scoreless innings before Becker launced her team-best fourth homer of the season over the left field fence to give Louisville a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals, who outhit the Falcons 7-2 in the game, had another chance to score in the sixth when Becker doubled and pinch runner Michala Riggle took third on Szydlowski's hit to place runners on the corners, but Bowling Green's Brooke Parker retired the next three batters to hold Louisville at bay.

The Falcons (7-10) threatened in the top of the sixth when Alex Sorgi drew a leadoff walk, stole second and took third on Aspen Searle's base hit. Searle stole second to place two runners in scoring position with one out. Becker dealt back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the shutout.

Becker (8-4) collected her third win of the weekend while leading the Cards offensively with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate with a double and a home run.

Parker (0-3) took the loss, giving up one earned run on seven hits and striking out six in six innings.

"Credit to Green Bay and Bowling Green State, both teams came to play," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "We weren't very sharp at times today. Again, we've got to get consistency out of our defense. I thought Maryssa Becker did a great job in that last game, she pitched a very good game and backed it up at the plate."

Louisville will wrap up the weekend against Indiana State Sunday at 12:30 p.m.