Softball Travels to Lipscomb for Midweek Contest

The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Nashville, Tenn., for a midweek matchup at Lipscomb Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. (ET).

Team Notes
• The Cardinals bring a 22-9 overall record into the midweek contest after taking two of three games at Duke.
• For the seventh 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 fourth straight week and the sixth time this season.

Individual Notes
• Danielle Watson (13-6) ranked third in the ACC and 19th in the nation in wins. The freshman right-hander carries a team-best 2.14 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 95.0 innings of work while holding opponents to a .198 batting average. Junior Megan Hensley (8-3) follows with a 2.48 ERA and 81Ks in 101.2 innings and is limiting opponents to a .227 average.
• Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson leads the team with a .374 average and 31 RBIs as well as multi-hit games (11) and multi-RBI games (9).
• Hensley stands second on the team with a .353 batting average and is on a five-game hitting streak.
• Sophomore Celene Funke leads the team with 10 stolen bases.
• Junior Sidney Melton has had a hit in each of the last five games and has scored a team-high 25 runs and is 8-for-8 in stolen bases.
• 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
Lipscomb
Series Record: Lipscomb leads 2-1
Last Meeting: April 18, 2017 - A three-run eighth inning lifted Lipscomb to a 4-1 win over the Cardinals.
• Lipscomb's Mandy Jordan held the Cards in check, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out five while retiring the final 13 batters she faced in the game. Plocheck paced the Bisons offensively with a 3-for-4, one run, one RBI performance at the plate.
• Becker took the loss, allowing four earned runs on eight hits and striking out six in eight innings. After giving up a home run in the second, the senior retired 13 straight batters before allowing a double in the sixth. Becker, Jordan McNary and Jamie Soles each had a hit.
Scouting the Bisons: Lipscomb enters the weekend with a 19-9 record. Last weekend, Lipscomb lost two of three games to Atlantic Sun opponent USC Upstate. Lipscomb fell 4-0 in game one, but took the second game 12-11 in eight innings USC Upstate won the rubber game 2-0.
• The Bisons are led at the plate by Sarah Higgins, who carries a .330 batting average. Abby Fenichel has belted out a team-best four home runs with 16 RBIs.
• Mandy Jordan (12-2) paces the team in thid circle with a 1.03 ERA and 104 strikeouts and four shutouts in 95.1 innings of work.

Up Next: The Cardinals will return to Ulmer Stadium for a three-game ACC series against North Carolina State March 30-31.

Recapping the weekend
• Louisville opened its series at Duke with a doubleheader sweep, defeating the Blue Devils 5-3 and 5-0. In the final game, Duke took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and held on for the win.
• Megan Hensley led the Cardinals in the circle this weekend as they clinched an ACC series at Duke. The junior right-hander did not allow a run in 13.0 innings of work. She appeared in all three games, earning a save in the series opener. She followed with a complete-game shutout in the second half of Friday's doubleheader. On Saturday, she entered the game in the third inning with runners on first and second with no outs - and held the Blue Devils scoreless in 5.0 innings of relief. Hensley scattered eight hits in her 13 innings, holding Duke to a .167 batting average.
• She also backed up her pitching performance with a .500 batting average (5-for-10)
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 13th win of the season in Louisville's series-opening 5-3 victory.
• Watson 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 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.
• Huey 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.
Duke 1 - Louisville 0
Duke jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first when Jameson Kavel led off with a triple and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
• Danielle Watson took the loss, allowing one earned run on two hits in one inning. Megan Hensley surrendered only two hits while striking out one in 5.0 innings of relief. Hensley led the Cards with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
• Amelia Wiercioch picked up the win, holding Louisville scoreless on two hits in 5.0 innings of work. Peyton St. George did not allow a hit in two innings of relief to pick up the save.

Melton ties school record with three stolen bases
On March 23, junior Sidney Melton recorded three stolen bases in Louisville's 5-3 win at Duke. In doing so, it marked the sixth time in program history that a player accomplished the feat and the first time since April 12, 2014 when Kelsi Jones swiped three against Connecticut.

Louisville/Indiana game postponed, reschedule for April 18
Due to inclement weather, Tuesday's University of Louisville softball game at Indiana was postponed with a 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).

Hitting for average
The Cardinals are hitting .301 collectively as a team with six players who are batting over .300 on the season. Sophomore Caitlin Ferguson leads the way with a .374 average. Junior Megan Hensley follows at .353 on the season. Sophomore Celene Funke is hitting at a .3848 clip while junior Madison Cousineau follows at .346. Freshman Maddy Newman is right behind Cousineau with a .345 average and senior Nicole Pufahl rounds out the top six at .322.

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.

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 224 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 13-6 record.
• The right-hander carries a 2.14 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 95.0 innings while holding opponents to a .198 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 two more to tie for fourth with Tori Collins (2009-12).
• Ninth in appearances (76) - needs four more to move into a tie for eighth with Rachel LeCoq (2013-14) .
• Eighth in career games started in the circle (51), needs seven more to tie for seventh with Aja Sherman (2002-05).
• Ninth in career wins (32), needs three more to move into a tie for eighth with Rachel LeCoq (2013-14).
• Tenth in career strikeouts. Needs three 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 16 RBIs.
•Centerfielder Nicole Pufahl is carries a .322 batting average and recently snapped a 15-game reached base streak.
• Second baseman Jamie Soles has played in 30 games with 26 starts and stands fourth on the team with 13 RBIs.
• Third baseman Alison Szydlowski has played in 27 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 .374 batting average, eight doubles and 31 RBIs.
• Sophomore Celene Funke is third on the team with a .348 batting average, and is a team-best 10-for-10 in stolen bases.
• Freshman RHP Danielle Watson (13-6) leads the pitching staff and is third in the ACC with 13 wins. She carries a team-best 2.14 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 96.0 innings of work.
• Freshman Maddy Newman has played in 23 games with 13 starts and is fifth on the team with a .345 batting average.
• Freshman Kyra Snyder has started every game at first base or in the circle and stands seventh on the team with a .298 batting average.

Next Event

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