Softball Sweeps Duke Doubleheader

Friday, March 23

Durham, NC

3:00 PM

University of Louisville

21-8, 1-3

Duke

16-13, 3-4

Louisville

Duke

March 23, 2018 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Louisville 5 - Duke 3 Louisville 5 - Duke 0

Cards top Blue Devils 5-3 and 5-0 to clinch the series

By: Lori Korte

DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Louisville softball team swept host Duke in an ACC doubleheader Friday evening. The teams will meet in the series finale Saturday at 12 p.m.

Louisville 5 – Duke 3
Caitlin Ferguson went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs to back freshman Danielle Watson as she collected her 13^th win of the season in Louisville's series-opening 5-3 victory.

The Blue Devils (16-14, 3-5 ACC) struck early with a pair of runs in the second inning. Amelia Wiercioch connected on a leadoff double and Katherine Huey followed with a walk. Wiercioch was safe at third on a Louisville error when Jill Ferraro reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases for back-to-back RBI singles by Jazmine Moreno and Haley Wymbs.

Louisville (22-8, 2-3 ACC) got on the scoreboard in the top of the third when hits by freshmen Kyra Snyder and Maddy Newman and a walk to junior Sidney Melton loaded the bases for sophomore Caitlin Ferguson's sacrifice fly to cut the lead to one run.

The Cards added another run in the fourth when senior Jamie Soles earned a two-out walk and Snyder followed with her second hit of the day. Soles sprinted home from second when Newman laced an RBI single through the left side to even the score at 2-2.

The fifth inning brought three more runs to pull the Cards ahead 5-2. Melton lead off the frame with an infield single to set up Ferguson who smashed a shot over the left field wall for her second home run of the season. Junior Megan Hensley singled and was lifted for pinch runner freshman Catie Barber who moved to third on senior Nicole Pufahl's double and crossed the plate on Jenna Jordan's single for the third run of the inning.

Duke tallied a final run in the seventh when Raine Wilson led off with a single and Rachel Abboud followed with a walk to put two on with no outs. Hensley entered to pitch and issued back-to-back strikeouts before Hannah Pridemore connected on an RBI hit to bring the score to 5-3.

Watson (13-5) picked up the win, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits while striking out three in 6.0 innings. Hensley held the Blue Devils scoreless and surrendered one hit while striking out two to collect her second save of the season. Melton, Snyder and Newman each tallied two hits for the Cards.

Amelia Wiercloch (4-4) took the loss after giving up five earned runs on nine hits in 4.0 innings. Wilson and Moreno had two hits to lead Duke at the plate.

Louisville 5 - Duke 0
In the second game of Friday's doubleheader, the Cardinals used a five-run seventh to break open a scoreless tie and held on to clinch the series with the Blue Devils.

Junior Megan Hensley (8-3) allowed five hits and struck out three en route to a complete game shutout, she also went 2-for-3 at the plate to help lead the Cardinals offensively. Senior Jamie Soles drove in two runs and junior Madison Cousineau collected three RBIs.

The teams played through six scoreless innings before Louisville broke through with five runs in the seventh, highlighted by senior Jamie Soles' two-run single and junior Madison Cousineau's three-run double. Hensley got the inning started with a single and was lifted for pinch-runner freshman Catie Barber who took second on Pufahl's sacrifice bunt and was safe at third on Szydlowski's fielder's choice. A single by freshman Kyra Snyder loaded the bases for Soles' two-run single. Senior Ashley Nikolao drew a walk to reload the bases for Cousineau who stepped up to the plate and cleared the bases with pinch hit double to put the Cards up 5-0.

The game featured a pitchers' duel through six innings as Duke's Katherine Huey limited Louisville to three hits and Hensley scattering five hits through six innings. The Blue Devils had runners in scoring position in the fourth and sixth and Louisville had runners in scoring position in the first and sixth before erupting for five runs in the seventh.

Huey (7-5) took the loss after giving up five earned runs on seven hits and striking out two in a complete game effort. Dominique Salinas went 2-for-3 to pace the Blue Devils offensively.

"I thought the first game we did a good job offensively attacking them and our pitching did a good job of keeping us in that game," said UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall. "In the second game, we struggled to get our offense going, credit a great deal to Duke's pitching and defense for that. I thought we got great production from some pinch hitters who did their jobs well - they did exactly what they needed to do. Megan and our defense also came up big in several situations."