Softball Opens 2018 with a Pair of Wins

Friday, February 9

Orlando, FL

12:00 PM

University of Louisville

1-0

Butler

0-1

Butler

Louisville

February 09, 2018 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Louisville 5 - Butler 2 Louisville 5 - UCF 3

Cards beat Butler 5-2 and UCF 5-3 to open the UCF Friends of Jaclyn Invitational

By: Lori Korte

ORLANDO, Fla. – Junior Blaire Bass went 4 for 5 on the day to help lead the University of Louisville softball team open the 2018 season with a pair of wins on the first day of the UCF Friends of Jaclyn Invitational Friday. The Cardinals (2-0) will return to action on Saturday when they face North Florida at 11 a.m. followed by a non-conference matchup against North Carolina at 2 p.m.

Louisville 5 – Butler 2
Bass went 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI to help lead the Cardinals to a 5-2 win over Butler. Junior Megan Hensley (1-0) struck out seven, allowed two unearned runs and scattered five hits to get the complete game win.

Butler (0-1) took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the first. Jenna Foreman opened the game with a bunt single and took second on a passed ball. Sarah Dixon and Madi Christiansen followed with back-to-back hits to load the bases. One out later, an error sent Moore home, but left the bases loaded for Alyssa Lach who was hit by a pitch to plate Dixon.

Louisville answered in the bottom of the second when senior Jamie Soles earned a leadoff walk and moved to third when senior Alison Szydlowski reached on an error. A sacrifice fly by Bass brought Soles home and another miscue scored Szydlowsky to tie the game at 2-2.

In the third inning, junior Sidney Melton delivered a hit for the first time since suffering a season-ending injury nearly a year ago. She eventually came around to score when senior Jenna Jordan reached on an error to push the Cards ahead 3-2.

The scoring continued in the fifth when sophomore Caitlin Ferguson singled and scored on a double by Jordan.

The Cardinals tacked on a final run in the fifth when senior Nicole Pufahl walked and advanced around the bases on three wild pitches to bring the final score to 5-2.

After the first inning, Hensley settled in and went on to 14 of the next 16 batters she faced and did not allow a runner in scoring position until the seventh inning.

The teams had three hits apiece in the game with the Bulldogs totaling four errors. Alyssa Graves (0-1) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on four hits and striking out seven. Foreman led Butler with a 3 for 4 showing at the plate.

Louisville 5 – UCF 3
In the second game of the day, Bass went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Jordan connected on a two-run homer to back freshman pitchers Danielle Watson and Kyra Snyder who combined to allow four hits and struck out eight.

The Cardinals jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first. Junior Caitlin Ferguson led off the game with a single. Junior Sidney Melton followed with a sacrifice bunt and an error kept her on base. After a flyout by senior Jenna Jordan sent Ferguson to third, senior Alison Szydlowski's base hit plated Ferguson. Junior Blaire Bass kept her offensive momentum from the first game of the day when she delivered a two-run single to give Louisville a 3-0 lead.

The Knights threatened to score in the fourth when a trio of walks loaded the bases with one out, but Watson and the Cardinal defense got a fielder's choice and a groundout to get out of the jam.

UCF broke through in the fifth when Cassady Brewer doubled and scored on a base hit by Brooke Barlow to make the score 3-1.

The Cards countered with two runs in the sixth behind Jenna Jordan's first homer of the season which also scored Melton who had led off the frame with a walk.

The seventh inning brought two more UCF runs as the Knights put together a rally. Tamesha Glover drew a one-out walk and was lifted for pinch-runner Kendyl Lange who took second when Barlow reached on an error. One out later, Kyra Klarkowski walked to load the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate in Aubrey Johnson. An error sent Lange and Barlow home to bring the score to 5-3 and this time bring the winning run to the plate with two outs. Freshman reliever Kyra Snyder delivered a strikeout to end the game.

Watson (1-0) got the win, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out five in 5.0 innings while Snyder surrendered two unearned runs and struck out four and did not give up a hit in 2.0 innings of relief.

Alea White (0-1) took the loss, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits in 6.0 innings of work. Brewer and Glover each had two hits for the Knights.

"I thought Megan Hensley did a good job today," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "I think she may have gotten a little tired toward the end of the game, but I thought she pitched well overall. Our two freshman pitchers came out and threw well, especially for their first games – they got the job done for us. I thought Danielle may have lost a little steam, but Kyra coming in and doing her job was excellent for us. Offensively, I thought we were a little sluggish to start the first game, but I thought we really came out and did a great job the second game."