Cardinals Drop Series Opener Against North Carolina 6-0

Friday, April 26

LOUISVILLE, KY

6:00 p.m.

University of Louisville

32-16, 0

NORTH CAROLINA

32-15, 0

North Carolina

Louisville

Cardinals Drop Series Opener Against North Carolina 6-0

April 26, 2019 | Softball

Box Score North Carolina 6 - Louisville 0

Louisville shut out for the first time since Feb. 15.

By: Dalton Ray

The University of Louisville softball team dropped the series opener 6-0 to North Carolina Friday evening on Don Dobina Field at Ulmer Stadium.

The Cardinals (32-16, 11-8 ACC) didn't allow a run in the final five innings, but the Cards couldn't overcome the early 6-0 deficit.

Sophomore Danielle Watson (10-12) took the loss, allowing four unearned runs on one hit with one strikeout in 0.2 innings. Senior Megan Hensley pitched five innings in relief and didn't allow a run. She also added her fifth triple of the year. Redshirt freshman Taylor Roby also delivered a hit while sophomore Maddy Newman tallied the Cardinals' third hit of the game.

North Carolina (32-15, 16-6) used a hit, five walks, an error and a passed ball to plate four unearned runs in the top of the first inning.

UNC scored another pair of runs in the top of the second.

In the bottom of the third, junior Celene Funke walked and stole second. Redshirt senior Sidney Melton followed with a walk and Roby loaded the bases with a single. A ground out to third base ended the threat for the Cards. Louisville would strand 10 runners in the game.

Newman singled to start the seventh inning and Melton walked to put two runners on. A passed ball advanced runners to second and third, but a pop up ended the final comeback chance for the Cards.

Brittany Pickett (19-9) got the complete game shutout win, scattering three hits and striking out eight.

Game two of the series is Saturday, April 27 at 1 p.m. Prior to the start of the game, Louisville will recognize the five seniors.

Notes following the North Carolina game:
• Series North Carolina now leads the series 7-6
• As a team, Louisville has registered a program-record 89 stolen bases on 103 attempts on the season. The previous record was 68 (95 attempts), set in the 2010 season
• The game marked the first time Louisville was shutout since Feb. 15 when they fell 6-0 to No. 15/17 Michigan.
• Louisville has a 15-4 record at Ulmer Stadium in 2019.

Player Notes
• Sidney Melton has reached safely in the last 12 games
• Celene Funke has reached safely in the last nine games.
• Funke stands fourth on Louisville's single-season list with 24 stolen bases.
• Funke pushes her career stolen base total to 44, good for seventh on Louisville's all-time list. She needs two more to move into a three-way tie for fifth with Candi Hicks (2004-07), and Kristin Austin (2009-12).