Softball's Series at Duke Altered Due to Weather

The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Durham, N.C., to take on Duke in a three-game ACC series - the original schedule has been altered due to inclement weather in the forecast. The Cardinals and the Blue Devils will meet for the first time in a doubleheader Friday at 3 p.m. The series finale is slated for Saturday at 12 p.m.

Team Notes
• The Cardinals bring a 20-8 overall record into the weekend after losing three games to Notre Dame in their ACC-opening series.
• For the sixth week in a row, Louisville is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. UofL is also receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Coaches poll for the third straight week and the fifth time this season.
• The Cards are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
• On March 4, Louisville defeated Eastern Illinois 6-0 to mark the 700th win in school history - all under head coach Sandy Pearsall who started the program in 2000. She now has a 705-358 mark at UofL.
Individual Notes
• Danielle Watson (12-5) ranked second in the ACC and 19th in the nation in wins. The freshman right-hander carries a team-best 2.07 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 88.0 innings of work while holding opponents to a .190 batting average. Junior Megan Hensley (7-3) follows with a 2.84 ERA and 75Ks in 88.2 innings and is limiting opponents to a .235 average.
•Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson leads the team with a .389 average and 28 RBIs as well as multi-hit games (10) and multi-RBI games (8).
• Sophomore Celene Funke follows with a .383 batting average and is a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases.
• Junior Sidney Melton has scored a team-high 23 runs and is 5-for-5 in stolen bases. She recently connected on her first home run of the season in Sunday's 7-2 loss to Notre Dame
• Sandy Pearsall is in her 19th season as UofL's head coach. After building the program from scratch in 2000, Pearsall recently achieved her 700th victory at Louisville. She has guided the Cardinals to six conference championships. Under her watch, Louisville has made 13 NCAA regional appearances and served as a host site in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Cards against the field
Duke
Series Record: First meeting
Scouting the Blue Devils: Duke enters the week with a 16-11 overall record after a 6-1 loss at No. 15/16 South Carolina on Tuesday and prior to a midweek matchup against South Carolina on Wednesday.
• The Blue Devils stand at 3-3 in ACC play, most recently sweeping Boston College in a three-game series in Durham. Prior to that, Duke lost all three games at North Carolina in their conference-opening series.
• Duke is led at the plate by Raine Wilson, who is batting .409 with a team-best three home runs. Jameson Kavel has scored a team-high 21 runs and has 11 stolen bases, while Amelia Wiercioch has collected 21 RBIs to help pace the Blue Devils offensively.
• Wiercioch (4-3) also leads the Blue Devils in the circle with a 1.35 ERA with 45 strikeouts and two saves in 67.1 innings. Peyton St. George (4-2) follows with a 1.74 ERA and 41 Ks in 40.1 innings. Katherine Huey rounds out the pitching staff with a 2.49 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 53.1 innings of work.

Up Next: The Cardinals will travel to Nashville for a midweek game at Lipscomb on March 28.

Recapping the weekend
Louisville lost all three games in their ACC-opening series against Notre Dame. Sophomore Celene Funke led the Cardinals offensively on the weekend with a .400 batting average (4-for-10). The outfielder also scored a run and added a stolen base.

Notre Dame 10 - Louisville 3
The University of Louisville softball team fell 10-3 to Notre Dame in its ACC opener Friday afternoon at Ulmer Stadium.
• Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson went 2-for-3 and drove in all three of the Cardinals' runs to lead Louisville at the plate. Freshman Danielle Watson took the loss, allowing two earned runs on three hits and striking out two in 2.1 innings.
• Alexis Holloway picked up the complete game win after surrendering three earned runs on seven hits and striking out two. Three different Notre Dame players collected two hits apiece with Brooks leading the way with a 2-for-2, two runs and two RBI showing at the plate.

Notre Dame 3- Louisville 1
Danielle Watson took the loss, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and striking out two in a complete game effort. Melton led the Cardinals with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate.
• Katie Beriont (6-4) picked up the win after giving up one earned run on seven hits and striking out four in 6.0 innings. Alexis Holloway retired the Cardinals in order in the seventh to earn the save. Seven different players recorded hits for the Irish with Wester collecting two RBIs.

Notre Dame 7- Louisville 2
The Cards took an early 2-0 lead, but fell 7-2 to Notre Dame in the series finale.
• Megan Hensley went 2-for-3 with a triple and a double to lead UofL at the plate. The junior took the loss in the circle after allowing seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and striking out three in a complete game effort.
• Alexis Holloway picked up the win, allowing two earned runs on five hits and striking out three in six innings. Reed led the Irish with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in one.

Louisville/Indiana game postponed
Due to inclement weather, Tuesday's University of Louisville softball game at Indiana was postponed with tentativa make-up date slated for April 18 at 5 p.m.

Pearsall, Louisville reach 700 wins
On March 4, 2018, the University of Louisville softball team defeated Eastern Illinois 6-0 in the final game of the Red & Black Classic at Ulmer Stadium.
Pearsall Highlights at Louisville
• Sandy Pearsall is in her 19th season at the helm after starting the program in 2000.
• She has registered a 705-358 record at Louisville; producing 14 consecutive winning seasons (six winning seasons in the 18-year history of the program).
•Six conference championships in three conferences (C-USA, BIG EAST, American Athletic Conference
• Louisville has been ranked in the top 10 numerous times, reaching as high as No. 7 (as recently as 2013)
• Conference Coaching Staff of the Year three times: 2012 (BIG EAST); 2006 (BIG EAST); 2000 (Conference USA); NFCA Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2012).

Life is grand for Hensley
Megan Hensley connected on a grand slam in Louisville's 9-4 win against Northern Illinois on March 14 marked the first since Feb. 17, 2017 when Hensley launched a grand slam in the 9-0 win over Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Hensley connected on her first career grand slam as a freshman on March 30, 2016 when the Cards beat Western Kentucky 12-0.
• She leads the current team with three career grand slams. Lacy Wood (2003-06) holds the school record with four.

Hitting for average
The Cardinals are hitting .306 collectively as a team with six players who are batting over .300 on the season. Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson leads the way with a .389 average. Fellow sophomore Celene Funke follows at a .383 clip. Senior Nicole Pufahl carries a .341 average with junior Megan Hensley and freshman Maddy Newman itied for fourth at .333. JuniorMadison Cousineau (.320) rounds out the top hitters.

Hensley registers 200th strikeout
In the March 14, 9-4 win against Northern Illinois, Megan Hensley picked up the win while striking out six in 4.2 innings of relief. In doing so, she registered and surpassed her 200th career strikeout. She now has 218 Ks and recently moved into 10th place among Louisville's all-time strikeout leaders.

Watson off to stellar start
Freshman Danielle Watson has been impressive in her debut as a Cardinal. The right-handed pitcher is tied for second in the ACC with a 12-5 record.
• The right-hander carries a 2.07 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 88.0 innings while holding opponents to a .190 batting average.
•The Osceola, Ind., native made her debut in the Cardinals 5-3 win over UCF. In that game, she surrendered one earned run and struck out five while scattering four hits in 5.0 innings.

Hensley climbing the record book
Junior RHP Megan Hensley has entered Louisville's top career list in several categories.
• Fifth with six career saves and needs three more to tie for fourth with Tori Collins (2009-12).
• Ninth in appearances (73) - needs seven more to move into a tie for eighth with Rachel LeCoq (2013-14) .
• Tied for eighth in career games started in the circle (50), needs eight more to tie for seventh with Aja Sherman (2002-05).
• Tied for ninth in career wins (3-1), needs four more to move into a tie for eighth with Rachel LeCoq (2013-14).
• Tenth in career strikeouts. Needs nine more to tie current pitching coach Kassie Stanfill (2006-09) for ninth on the list.

Pufahl eclipses 100 career runs
Senior Nicole Pufahl scored her 100th career run on March 10 when the Cardinals' 10-6 defeated Eastern Michigan at Ulmer Stadium. The senior outfielder now has 103 runs in her career and needs 14 more to move into a tie for 10th with Sara Bausher (2002-05) and Alicja Wolny (2010-13) on Louisville's all-time list for career runs.

Senior leadership
The four seniors in the starting lineup have been instrumental in the Cardinals' early success.
•Catcher Jenna Jordan is tied for the team lead with two home runs and is third on the team with 15 RBIs.
•Centerfielder Nicole Pufahl is carries a .341 batting average and recently snapped a 15-game reached base streak.
• Second baseman Jamie Soles has played in 27 games with 23 starts and stands fourth on the team with 13 RBIs.
• Third baseman Alison Szydlowski has played in 25 games with 24 starts.
Note: Senior Ashley Nikolao has been sidelined by injury for the majority of the season.

Youthful impact
Along with the veteran leadership on the field, several underclassmen have also made valuable contributions.
• Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson has started every game at shortstop, third base or first base and leads the team with a .389 batting average, eight doubles and 28 RBIs.
• Sophomore Celene Funke is second on the team with a .383 batting average, and is a team-best 9-for-9 in stolen bases.
• Freshman RHP Danielle Watson (12-5) leads the pitching staff and is tied for second in the ACC with 12 wins. She carries a team-best 2.07 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 88.0 innings of work.
• Freshman Maddy Newman has played in 20 games with 10 starts and is tied for fourth on the team with a .333 batting average.
• Freshman Kyra Snyder has started every game at first base or in the circle and stands seventh on the team with a .293 batting average.

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Players Mentioned

Madison Cousineau

Caitlin Ferguson

Celene Funke

Megan Hensley

Jenna Jordan

Sidney Melton

Maddy Newman

Ashley Nikolao

Nicole Pufahl

Kyra Snyder

Jamie Soles

Alison Szydlowski

Danielle Watson

University of Louisville Athletics