Softball Tops No. 21/25 Ole Miss, Falls to Baylor on Opening Day

Friday, February 7

Clearwater, FL/Eddie C. Moore Complex

12 PM

University of Louisville

1-0

Ole Miss

0-1

Louisville

Ole Miss

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

Softball Tops No. 21/25 Ole Miss, Falls to Baylor on Opening Day

February 07, 2020 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Louisville 4 - Ole Miss 2 Baylor 7 - Louisville 4

By: Lori Harmon

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Louisville softball team defeated No. 21/25 Ole Miss and fell 7-4 to Baylor on day one of the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Friday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

Louisville 4 – Ole Miss 2
In the Cardinals' season opener, freshman Jenna Servi went 2-for-3 with a run while Taylor Roby and Caitlin Ferguson each connected on a home run in Louisville's 4-2 win against No. 21/25 Ole Miss. Roby got the win in the circle and Chardonnay Harris picked up the save.

The Cardinals started the scoring behind Roby's solo home run in the second. The redshirt sophomore led off the frame with a shot over the left field fence to give Louisville a 1-0 lead.

The Rebels answered with an unearned run the home half of the inning. Gabby Alvarez walked and was lifted for pinch runner Keisha Loftin, who stole second and scored when Amanda Roth reached on a error.

Louisville countered with a pair of runs in the third. Sophomore Charley Butler connected on a leadoff a double and Servi's base hit placed runners on the corners. An ensuing double-steal sent Butler home to give the Cards a 2-1 lead. Servi crossed the plate on a hit by redshirt junior Carmyn Greenwood.

Ferguson led off the sixth with a shot over the left field fence to extend Louisville's lead to 4-1.

Ole Miss (0-1) put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh when Tate Whitley reached on a bunt single, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a hit by Mikayla Allee to make it a 4-2 game. Walks to Abbey Latham and Autumn Gillespie loaded the bases with one out, but Harris registered a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.

Roby (1-0) earned the win after allowing two runs, one earned, and striking out three in 6.0 innings. Harris picked up the save, holding the Rebel scoreless with one strikeout. Louisville outhit Ole Miss 6-5 in the contest.

Molly Jacobsen (0-1) took the loss, giving up four earned runs on six hits and striking out four. Whitley led the Rebels with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate.

Baylor 7 – Louisville 4
The second game of the day featured a battle between Louisville and Baylor which featured three lead changes. After taking an early lead, the Cardinals fell behind in the third inning and quickly evened the score in the fourth. The Lady Bears plated three runs in the sixth en route to the 7-4 win.

Sophomores Cassady Greenwood and Maddy Newman had two hits and a run apiece. Chardonnay Harris (0-1) took the loss after giving up seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in 5.0 innings.

The Cardinals (1-1) jumped ahead with an unearned run in the second inning. Sophomore Cassady Greenwood singled and eventually scored on an error. Fellow sophomore Maddy Newman reached on a fielder's choice and came home on Funke's groundout to push the lead to 2-0.

Baylor (2-0) cut the lead in half behind Taylor Ellis's solo home run in the second.

Louisville got the run back in the third inning when Roby walked and eventually scored on Newman's RBI hit, bringing the score to 3-1.

The Lady Bears used two hits, three walks and an error to put up a three-spot in the third to take a 4-3 lead.

Once again, the Cardinals responded with another run in the fourth. Senior Celene Funke led off the frame with her first triple of the season and fellow senior Caitlin Ferguson followed with an RBI single to even the score at 4-4.

After playing through a scoreless fifth inning, Baylor broke open the tie, capitalizing on four hits and an error to tack on three runs. Maddison Kettler doubled and Emily Holt followed with a single. Both runners came home on Kyla Walker's two-run single. Walker crossed the plate when Taylor Ellis reached on an error to give the Lady Bears a 7-4 lead.

The Cards put a runner in scoring position in the seventh after Cassady Greenwood led off with a double and pinch runner freshman Elana Ornelas moved to second on Butler's groundout, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the game.

Louisville returns to action Saturday when the Cardinals take on Texas State at 10 a.m. and Mississippi State at 3 p.m.