Four-Run Sixth Inning Propels Softball Past Virginia 7-5

Friday, April 28

LOUISVILLE, KY

2 p.m.

University of Louisville

27-17, 0

VIRGINIA

21-30, 0

Virginia

Louisville

Four-Run Sixth Inning Propels Softball Past Virginia 7-5

April 28, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Sandy Pearsall Post Game Interview Louisville 7 - Virginia 5 (PDF)

Cards overcome 5-3 deficit with four runs in the sixth

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A four-run sixth inning helped the University of Louisville softball team overcome a 5-3 deficit and defeat Virginia 7-5 in the opening game of the three-game ACC series Friday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium. The teams will play game two Saturday at 1 p.m.

Sophomore Megan Hensley went 3-for-4 with an RBI and picked up her second save in the circle while senior Maryssa Becker registered her career-best 20^th win of the season and drove in two runs.

The Cavaliers (21-30, 8-14 ACC) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. McKall Miller led off the frame with a walk and Allison Davis followed with single. Lacy Smith walked to load the bases for Madison Labshere's two-run single.

Louisville (27-17, 10-7 ACC) answered when senior Tiarra Sanabria led off home half of the third with a shot over the left field fence for her second homer of the season. Senior Morgan Meyer later reached on a fielder's choice and scored from first on junior Nicole Pufahl's doubled to the gap in right center to tie the game at 2-2. Senior Maryssa Becker's RBI hit plated Pufahl to put the Cardinals on top 3-2

Virginia used solo home runs by Katie Park in the fourth, Danni Ingraham in the fifth and Lacy Smith in the sixth to take a 5-3 lead.

The Cardinals used five hits and an error to put up a four-spot in the sixth. Sanabria connected on a leadoff double and came around to score on sophomore Jordan Vorbrink's pinch-hit single to Cavaliers' lead to 5-4. A fielding error allowed sophomore Caitlin Ferguson to reach second and saw McNary safe at first. Consecutive RBI hits by Pufahl, Becker and Hensley scored three more runs to bring the score to 7-5.

The Cavaliers threatened to score in the top of the seventh when Ingraham and McKall Miller led off with back-to-back hits to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Hensley, who had started the game in the circle, but was lifted for Becker in the second, re-entered the game and retired the final three batters to pick up her second save of the season.

Becker (20-9) took the win allowing three earned runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings of work. She also helped her cause with two hits and two RBIs in the game. Pufahl went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs. Sanabria had a double, a home run and scored twice in the game.

Erika Osherow (14-18) took the loss after giving up seven runs, four earned, on 13 hits in 5.2 innings of work. Park and Ingraham each had two hits, an RBI and a run while Labshere finished the game with a pair of runs.

"I thought we got off to a great start and then struggled in the second inning - which let them get ahead," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "We had to get back on track, and that's been something we've struggled with offensively, putting hits together. But luckily we were able to do that. I think Tiarra hitting one out kind of gave us a lift and started our momentum. Jordan Vorbrink had a timely hit and opened the door for us."