Cards Prevail Against NC State

Saturday, February 20

Raleigh, NC

3:00 PM

University of Louisville

2-5, 0

NC State

4-2, 0

NC State

Louisville

Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics

February 20, 2021 | Softball

Box Score

By: Lori Harmon

RALEIGH, N.C. – For the second straight game on Saturday, the University of Louisville softball team used late-inning offense to pull out a win in the bottom of the seventh inning. In a game that featured four lead changes and a tie, the Cardinals prevailed over host NC State 5-4 in the ACC Pod Weekend.

Louisville (2-4, 2-2) will wrap up the weekend against Virginia Sunday at 11 a.m. at NC State's Dail Stadium.

Senior Celene Funke led the Cardinals offensively, going 3-for-4 with a single, a triple and a home run. The outfielder also scored twice and drove in a pair of runs. Senior Maddy Newman went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

The Wolfpack (4-2, 4-2) struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning. Sam Russ led off the game with a double and Tatyana Forbes followed with a walk. Both runners scored on a double by Logan Morris.

The Cards cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second when Funke blasted her first home run of the season, a one-out shot over the right field fence to make the score 2-1.

Louisville's defense held the Wolfpack in check through the next two innings. NC State had a chance to push more runs across in the top of the fourth, when the Wolfpack loaded the bases with one out, but shortstop Sydney Bickel caught a line drive and teamed with second baseman Maddy Newman for a double play to get out of the jam.

Louisville took the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth. Newman led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and took second on Bickel's sacrifice bunt and scored on Carmyn Greenwood's RBI single. Funke stepped up to the plate and delivered her first triple of the season to put the Cards on top 3-2.

The Cardinals' lead was short-lived as back-to-back solo home runs by Nordberg and Farricker in the sixth put the Wolfpack back on top 4-3.

Once again, Louisville countered in the home half of the inning when Butler reached on a fielder's choice and sprinted to third on Cassady Greenwood's one-out hit to put
runners on the corners Newman's RBI single.

With the game tied a 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Funke beat the throw for an infield hit, an error on the play sent her to second. Roby was intentionally walked and was Mia Forsythe enter to run. Weddle groundout moved both runners into scoring position. An error on Charley Butler's sharply hit ball plated Funke to give the Cardinals their second straight victory.

Payton Hudson (1-1) picked up the win, holding the Wolfpack scoreless on two hits and striking out one in 1.1 innings of relief. Freshman Gabby Holloway started in the circle
and allowed four earned runs on nine hits while striking out four in 5.2 innings.

Sydney Nester (1-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run on one hit and striking out one in 1.1 innings. Starting pitcher Abby Trahan surrendered four earned runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Logan Morris paced NC State, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.