Softball Set for ACC Championship

ACC Championship Information
Dates: May 11-13, 2017
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Venue: Anderson Stadium
Television: ACC Network Extra/RSN
Live Scoring: TheACC.com
Twitter Updates: @UofLSoftball

The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face NC State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Championship Thursday at 5 p.m. at North Carolina's Anderson Stadium. The winner of the Louisville/NC State game will advance to face the winner between third-seeded North Carolina and the No. 6 seed Syracuse in Friday's semifinals.
Louisville Notes:
• The Cardinals have earned the No. 2 seed in the ACC Championship and will face NC State in the quarterfinals Thursday at 5 p.m. at North Carolina's Anderson Stadium.
• UofL enters the conference tournament with a 31-18 overall record and earned the No. 2 seed for the second straight year after posting a 14-8 mark in ACC play.
• This marks Louisville's second trip to Anderson Stadium after competing there in the 2017 ACC/Big Ten Challenge where they posted a 3-1 record, defeating Purdue twice and splitting a pair of games against Ohio State. Louisville holds a 4-3 all-time record at Anderson Stadium including going 1-2 against the host Tar Heels in the 2016 regular season series.
• The Cardinals are coming off of a three-game road sweep of NC State in the final weekend of the season.
• Louisville has reached the 30-win mark for the 14th straight season and the 16th time in the 18 year history of the program.
• Junior Nicole Pufahl leads the team with a .360 batting average, eight home runs, 43 RBIs and 37 runs. The centerfielder also paces the Cards in multi-hit games (15) and multi-RBI games (12).
• Louisville has five players in the starting lineup batting over .300 on the season.
• Current ACC Player of the Week senior Maryssa Becker (22-10) paces the Cards in the circle with a 2.53 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 202.0 innings of work. Her 22 wins are a career high for wins in a season.
• Senior Morgan Meyer is on a career high nine-game hitting streak.
• Senior Jordan McNary has reached base via a hit, a walk in 32 of her last 34 games and is a career-best 14-for-15 in stolen bases.
• Sandy Pearsall is in her 18th season as UofL's head coach. After building the program from scratch in 2000, Pearsall has guided the Cardinals to six conference championships. Under her watch, Louisville has made 13 consecutive NCAA regional appearances and served as a host site in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Up Last
The Cardinals wrapped up the regular season and secured the No. 2 seed in the ACC Championship with a three-game sweep of host NC State.
Louisville 7 - NC State 0
Senior Maryssa Becker had three hits, drove in three runs and picked up the win in the circle to lead the University of Louisville softball team to a 7-0 win against NC State. With the series sweep, the Cardinals earned the No. 2 seed in the ACC Championship.
• Becker struck out nine and held NC State scoreless while scattering five hits in 4.2 innings of relief and helped her cause at the plate with three RBIs. Junior Nicole Pufahl had two hits, including a two-run homer and scored twice.
• With her performance in the circle, Becker moved to second in Louisville's record book with 625 career strikeouts. Hensley combined on the shutout, getting the start in the circle and tossing 2.1 innings and surrendering five hits.
• Peyton Silverman took the loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits in three innings. Compton went 3-for-3 to lead the Wolfpack at the plate.

Louisville 4 - NC State 3 (8 innings)
Alison Szydlowski drove in the final three runs of the game to help the University of Louisville softball team rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat host NC State 4-3 in eight innings Saturday evening. With the win, the Cardinals clinch the series and improve to 30-18 on the season and 13-8 in ACC play.
• With her team down 3-1 with one out in the seventh, Szydlowski connected a two-run home run to even the score and then delivered an RBI hit in the eighth for the go-ahead run. Senior Maryssa Becker (21-10) went the distance to pick up the win, striking out allowing three earned runs on nine hits. She also went 3-for-4 at the plate.
• Peyton Silverman took the loss, allowing four earned runs on 11 hits and striking out three in eight innings. Caraway went 2-for-4 with an RBI to pace the Wolfpack at the
Louisville 7 - NC State 5
Alison Szydlowski had a home run and a double and drove in three runs to help lead the University of Louisville softball team to a 7-5 win against NC State in the series opener Friday evening at Dail Stadium.
• Louisville built a 7-3 lead and held off the Wolfpack as sophomore Megan Hensley picked up a complete game win, scattering seven hits and striking out two while adding a run and an RBI to help her cause offensively. Junior Jenna Jordan went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and senior Tiarra Sanabria went 2-for-4 with a home run as Louisville pounded out 10 hits.
• Peyton Silverman took the loss, after surrendering seven earned runs on 10 hits and striking out six in seven innings. Balzer paced the Wolfpack with a 4-for-4, one run, one RBI performance at the plate

Becker Name ACC Player of the Week
Maryssa Becker was named ACC Player of the Week after leading the Cardinals at the plate and in the circle in their series sweep at NC State.
• Becker led the Cardinals offensively with a .583 batting average (7-for-12). She posted a .917 slugging percentage with four doubles and scored four runs with one RBI. She had at least one double in each game and tied a career high with three hits in games two and three of the series. She now leads the team with 13 doubles and moves to seventh on Louisville's career list for doubles.
•The Medford, Ore., native also posted two wins in the circle to help the Cardinals sweep NC State and claim the No. 2 seed in the ACC Championship. The senior posted a 1.66 ERA and struck out 15 in 12.2 innings and combined on a shutout in the season finale. She went the distance in an eight-inning 4-3 win while striking out six to help clinch the series and proceeded to toss 4.2 shutout innings while striking out nine and scattering five hits. She also played perfect defense with four assists and one putout.
• With her performance on the weekend, Becker moves to second on Louisville's career strikeout list with 616. She also collected her 21st and 22nd wins of the season – a career high and improves her career win tally to 69, placing her third on Louisville's all-time list.

Szydlowksi Earns College Sports Madness ACC Player of the Week Honors
Alison Szydlowski was named College Sports Madness ACC Player of the Week after helping the Cardinals close the regular season with a three-game sweep at NC State.
• The junior from Imperial, Mo., posted a .455 batting average with two home runs, six RBIs and scored three runs. In game two of the series, she connected on her second homer of the season - a two-run shot - to erase a 3-1 deficit and tie the game in the seventh inning. She proceeded to knock in the go-ahead run in the eighth.
• Szydlowski tallied a run and had at least one hit in each game.

Cards reach 30-win mark for 14th straight season
On May 6, the Cardinals defeated NC State 4-3 in eight innings to notch their 30th win of the season. Louisville has now posted 30 or more victories in 14 straight seasons (dating back to 2004). The Cards have posted at least 30 wins 16 times in the 18 year history of the program with a record-setting 55 victories in 2012.

Cards in ACC Championship
In their final home weekend, the Cardinals picked up two wins against Virginia to clinch a spot in the 2017 ACC Championship. Louisville has made the conference postseason in each of its three seasons as an ACC member and has been a top-five seed in the 17 years in program history dating back to 2000, its inaugural season in Conference USA.

Becker and Jordan Earn Academic All-District Honors
Maryssa Becker and Jenna Jordan were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 2 team. She will be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
• Becker (Medford, Ore.), a senior pitcher and chemistry major was the 2016 ACC Softball Scholar Athlete and is a two-time ACC Academic team and honor roll selection and has been named to the Athletic Director's honor roll seven times.
• Jordan (Ft. Collins, Colo.) a junior catcher and exercise science major was a 2016 ACC All-Academic team and ACC Academic honor roll selection and has been named to the Athletic Director's honor roll in each of her semesters since transferring to Louisville in the fall of 2016.
• To be nominated for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00 and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution.

Senior Spotlight
On April 30, the Cardinals honored seniors Maryssa Becker, Jordan McNary, Morgan Meyer and Tiarra Sanabria in their final home game. Entering the weekend, the 2017 senior class has collected 132 wins, played in three NCAA regionals and have appeared in the top 25 rankings five times. As freshmen, they helped Louisville win the American Athletic Conference Championship. All four players are multi-year starters and have been integral in the Cardinals' transition to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hitting for average
Five players in the current starting lineup batting above .300 on the season. Junior Nicole Pufahl is the team's leading hitter with a .360 average while senior Maryssa Becker follows at .338. Fellow seniors Jordan McNary (.329), Tiarra Sanabria (.319) and Morgan Meyer (.304) round out the top five hitters.
• Before suffering a season-ending injury in the Feb. 25 game against California, junior shortstop Sidney Melton carried a .364 batting average.

Ferguson Takes Over
Caitlin Ferguson stepped into the role of Louisville's starting shortstop following junior Sidney Melton's season-ending injury in late February. Since that time, the freshman has settled into the role with a .274 average, nine doubles, 18 runs and 21 RBIs. She is third on the team with six multi-RBI games and stands sixth with nine multi-hit performances.

Pufahl's Time to Shine
Junior centerfielder Nicole Pufahl leads the Cardinals in most offensive categories while in the midst of a career-best season. The three-year starter carries a .360 batting average and a .613 slugging percentage with eight home runs, 12 doubles, 43 RBIs and 37 runs. She also has tallied a team-best 15 multi-hit performances and and 12 multi-RBI games.

Hensley Tosses One-Hitter Against Western Kentucky
Megan Hensley tossed a complete game one-hit shutout and drove in the only run of the game to lift the Cardinals to a 1-0 win over visiting Western Kentucky on April 19. The one-hitter was Hensley's first of the season and third in her career.

Becker Ties School Record with Twelfth Career Save
On March 18, Maryssa Becker entered the game in relief in the seventh inning during game two of Louisville's ACC series with Pitt. The Cards were leading 5-1, but the Panthers had the bases loaded with no outs in the inning with the tying run at the plate. After surrendering a run on a groundout, Becker proceeded to strike out the next two batters to pick up her school-record tying 12th career save.
• Becker is currently tied with Chelsea Leonard (2010-12) and Catherine Bishop (2004-07) and needs one more save to own the record outright.

Becker Sets Single Game RBI Mark
In the Cards' 13-2 win over CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 10, Maryssa Becker connected on an RBI single, a three-run homer and a grand slam, producing eight RBIs and setting a school record. She surpassed the previous record (7) held by Katie Keller (twice in 2013) and Melissa Jacobo (2002).

Becker Earns 50th Career Win, Notches 600th Strikeout
On Feb. 12, senior Maryssa Becker tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout to help the Cardinals to a 1-0 win over Indiana State. The victory marked the 50th of Becker's career and moved her to sixth on Louisville's all-time list. She currently has 66 wins and needs one more to move into a tie for fifth along with Jessica Rak (2000-03). Kristen Wadwell (2007-10) owns the record with 94 victories.
• In the April 15 game against Virginia Tech, Becker fanned seven batters and in doing so, notched her 600th career strikeout. She now stands third on the school's list for career Ks and needs 15 more to move into a tie for second with Catherine Bishop (2004-07). Kristen Wadwell (2007-10) holds the all-time record with 696.

Homegrown Talent
The Cardinals' roster featured nine (of 19) players from the commonwealth of Kentucky. Caitlin Ferguson (Fr., INF, Versailles, Ky./Woodford County), Lillie Goetz (So., INF, Owensboro/Owensboro Catholic), Shelby Graybill (Fr., INF/C, Ft. Thomas, Ky./Highlands), Megan Hensley (So., P/UT, Ashland/Paul Blazer), Jordan McNary (Sr., OF, Madisonville/Hopkins County Central), Morgan Meyer (Sr., OF, Louisville/Mercy), Ashley Nikolao (Jr., UT, Flaherty/Meade County), Michala Riggle (So., C/1B, Louisville/Christian Educational Consortium), Jordan Vorbrink (So., OF, Louisville/Mercy).

Becker Record Watch
Senior Maryssa Becker is ranked among the top 10 in several career categories at Louisville. The following is a list of milestones she will reach in the near future:
Pitching
• Needs 1 save to own the record for career saves (12)
• Second in career strikeouts (625)
• Currently sixth on Louisville's career list for shutouts (17); needs four more to tie for fifth.
• Third on the list for career wins (69), needs five more to tie for second.
Hitting
• Fifth on Louisville's all-time list with 153 career RBIs... needs 12 more to move into a tie for fourth
• Sixth with 100 walks, needs one more to tie for fifth
• Ninth with 26 home runs - needs one more to tie for eighth
• Ninth with 43 doubles - needs one more to tie for eighth

McNary Stealing Records
Senior Jordan McNary leads the team with a career-high 13 stolen bases this season. The speedy outfielder is currently eighth on Louisville's all-time list with 37 career stolen bases and needs two more to move into a tie for seventh with Melissa Roth (2007-10).
• Audrey Rendon (2004-07) holds Louisville's career record with 82 stolen bases.

Dual Threats
Two of Louisville's top offensive threats also double as the Cards' Nos. 1 and 2 pitchers. Senior Maryssa Becker is second on the team with four home runs, 33 RBIs and 13 doubles. Sophomore Megan Hensley also has 11 doubles, three homers and is third on the team with 28 RBIs.
• In the circle, Becker (22-10) carries a 2.53 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 202.0 innings of work with four shutouts on the season, while Hensley (9-8) has a 2.98 ERA and 60Ks in 118.0 innings.
• Listed below are their accomplishments in 2016.
      • Becker led the team with 16 multi-RBI games and 15 multi-hit games. Hensley was right behind her with 14 and 15 respectively.
      • The two combined for 23 of Louisville's 37 home runs and 112 of its 281 RBIs.
      • Becker was a 2016 All-ACC first team selection while Hensley earned second team honors.
      • Hensley earned NFCA All-Southeast Region third team honors.

Louisville Softball Tabbed to Finish Second in 2017 ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll
The University of Louisville softball team was picked to finish second in the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season as voted by the league's 11 head coaches.
• Louisville, which finished second in the league and reached the semifinals of the tournament in
• In 2016, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina and Notre Dame earned postseason berths, with the Seminoles finishing as the Women's College World Series semifinalist.
ACC Softball Predicted Order of Finish
1.       Florida State- 100 (10 first-place votes)
2.       Louisville – 86 (1 first-place vote)
3.       Notre Dame – 84
4.       North Carolina – 67
5.       Virginia Tech – 58
6.       Boston College – 57
7.       Syracuse – 48
8.       Pittsburgh – 44
9.       NC State – 30
10.   Georgia Tech – 17
11.   Virginia – 14

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Players Mentioned

Maryssa Becker

Caitlin Ferguson

Lillie Goetz

Shelby Graybill

Megan Hensley

Jenna Jordan

Jordan McNary

Sidney Melton

Morgan Meyer

Ashley Nikolao

Nicole Pufahl

Michala Riggle

Tiarra Sanabria

Alison Szydlowski

Jordan Vorbrink

University of Louisville Athletics