Softball Fall Season Recap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball recently completed the 2019-20 fall season of competition with some impressive results on the field and, more importantly, the opportunity for the 13 returning letterwinners and seven newcomers to compete together in a game environment.

"It was awesome to get some real game experience with the new squad," said senior outfielder Celene Funke. "We did some really good things and are ready to put it in more work before season in February."

The team played five doubleheaders throughout September and the first weekend of October and tallied five wins in contests against Eastern Kentucky, Bellarmine and Indiana. The Cards also traveled to Lexington for a doubleheader. The Cards also competed in a Red/Black intrasquad scrimmage as part of the fall season.

"The fall season is very important as we get our first look at our team as a whole in game situations and a chance to evaluate our strengths as well as our shortcomings," said head coach Holly Aprile who is in her second season at the helm. "Overall I was pleased with our performance on the field. The fall season about more than wins and losses, it's about growth and progress. It was about the intangibles as we encountered as we tried to overcome different obstacles whether they were physical or mental. We certainly have things to work on and it was good to be able to identify some of those."

As a team, the Cardinals produced a .321 batting average with four home runs, four triples and 15 doubles while scoring 35 runs in eight contests. Five members of the pitching staff saw time in the circle and combined for 27 strikeouts and a pair of shutouts.

"We have different elements that we will be able to utilize in the spring, we will have some power, speed," said Aprile "I think we might play offense a little bit differently than last year and I'm excited to see how the personnel is going to fit in and also the development of some of the younger players as well as the increased confidence of our upperclassmen."

The newcomers were also able to gain their footing with game-experience in the friendly confines of Ulmer Stadium.

"It was really fun getting to play in this new environment and being in the spot I had looked forward to for so long," said freshman Lexi Carver. "I think we all learned a lot and have some good things to work on before we get to compete again in the spring. I'm excited to see all the progress we make and can't wait for spring."

Up Next:
UofL's finalized 2020 spring schedule will be released in October.

About Louisville Softball
In 2019, the Cardinals posted a 35-23 overall record and a 12-12 mark in ACC play for a third place finish in the league's Atlantic Division and fifth in the overall conference standings. Louisville several milestones in head coach Holly Aprile's first season at the helm, highlighted by the 14^th NCAA appearance and sixth regional final as the Cardinals completed their 20^th year as a program.

UofL returns 13 letterwinners and seven starters from last season, including seniors Caitlin Ferguson and Celene Funke. The Cards also welcome seven newcomers to the 2020 squad.

Fans can follow Louisville Softball on Twitter (@UofLsoftball), Facebook (/LouisvilleSoftball) and Instagram (@UofL_softball).

University of Louisville Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Lexi Carver

Caitlin Ferguson

Celene Funke

Related Videos