Photo by: Amanda Roussin
Cards Wrap Up Successful Fall Semester
December 15, 2022 | Softball
With the 2022 fall semester coming to a close, the University of Louisville softball team heads into the winter break following a successful fall season.
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The Cardinals are coming off a 27-25 campaign in 2022 while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Back from last year's team are 13 letterwinners, including six starters. In addition to the returners, the 2023 roster also includes six talented newcomers with four freshmen and two transfers.
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Louisville compiled a 6-2 record in the fall exhibition season, sweeping doubleheaders against Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky and Indiana along with a pair of one-run losses to in-state rival Kentucky. As a team, Louisville boasted a .329 batting average with 11 home runs and scored 56 runs in eight games.
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The Cardinals saw standout performances at the plate from returners Hannah File, Taylor Roby and Korbe Otis while newcomers Paige Geraghty, Sarah Gordon and Daisy Hess made impressive debuts in the fall season offensive lineup.
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File, a graduate senior and 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association selection led all hitters with an impressive .579 batting average to go along with two doubles, a triple and a home run while driving in eight runs. Roby, also a graduate senior and a two-time NFCA All-Region honoree, hit .440 and blasted five homers in eight games, picking up where she left off as the Cardinals' home run leader last season. She also accounted for a team-best 15 RBIs. Â Otis, a 2022 ACC All-Freshmen team member, resumed her solid offense with a .346 batting average and scored eight runs.
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Paige Geraghty led the newcomers at the plate. The junior transfer from Auburn posted a .393 batting average and stood tied with File and Roby with 11 hits. Freshman Sarah Gordan was also impressive in her first fall season as a Cardinal, hitting at a .375 clip with four runs and six RBIs. Daisy Hess, a senior transfer and 2021 NFCA All-Region selection from Georgia State, led all Cardinals with 10 runs scored and belted out four homers along with a pair of doubles and triples while driving in seven runs.
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In the circle, the Cardinals got contributions from all six pitchers on the roster. Sophomore Sam Booe picked up a pair of wins and paced the pitchers with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings of work while senior Taja Felder fanned seven in 10 innings. Roby posted a 1.80 ERA in four appearances and junior Gabby Holloway took the field for the first time since a season-ending injury midway through the 2022 campaign. Freshman Cassie Grizzard went 2-0 in two starts and did not allow a run while delivering 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. Fellow rookie Alyssa Zabala started three games and logged a team-high 13.1 innings, registering eight strikeouts.
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With a challenging spring schedule on the horizon, Aprile was pleased with what she saw both on and off the field in the fall.
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"Cultivating our team dynamic takes constant and consistent effort, especially at the beginning of year when people are learning and getting to know each other and building relationships," said Aprile. "Developing and creating our culture and the daily connections and interactions are so important. There are a lot of concepts we implement in the fall that are important to our development and we accomplished those goals."
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The Cardinals are coming off a 27-25 campaign in 2022 while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Back from last year's team are 13 letterwinners, including six starters. In addition to the returners, the 2023 roster also includes six talented newcomers with four freshmen and two transfers.
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Louisville compiled a 6-2 record in the fall exhibition season, sweeping doubleheaders against Bellarmine, Eastern Kentucky and Indiana along with a pair of one-run losses to in-state rival Kentucky. As a team, Louisville boasted a .329 batting average with 11 home runs and scored 56 runs in eight games.
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The Cardinals saw standout performances at the plate from returners Hannah File, Taylor Roby and Korbe Otis while newcomers Paige Geraghty, Sarah Gordon and Daisy Hess made impressive debuts in the fall season offensive lineup.
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File, a graduate senior and 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association selection led all hitters with an impressive .579 batting average to go along with two doubles, a triple and a home run while driving in eight runs. Roby, also a graduate senior and a two-time NFCA All-Region honoree, hit .440 and blasted five homers in eight games, picking up where she left off as the Cardinals' home run leader last season. She also accounted for a team-best 15 RBIs. Â Otis, a 2022 ACC All-Freshmen team member, resumed her solid offense with a .346 batting average and scored eight runs.
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Paige Geraghty led the newcomers at the plate. The junior transfer from Auburn posted a .393 batting average and stood tied with File and Roby with 11 hits. Freshman Sarah Gordan was also impressive in her first fall season as a Cardinal, hitting at a .375 clip with four runs and six RBIs. Daisy Hess, a senior transfer and 2021 NFCA All-Region selection from Georgia State, led all Cardinals with 10 runs scored and belted out four homers along with a pair of doubles and triples while driving in seven runs.
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In the circle, the Cardinals got contributions from all six pitchers on the roster. Sophomore Sam Booe picked up a pair of wins and paced the pitchers with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings of work while senior Taja Felder fanned seven in 10 innings. Roby posted a 1.80 ERA in four appearances and junior Gabby Holloway took the field for the first time since a season-ending injury midway through the 2022 campaign. Freshman Cassie Grizzard went 2-0 in two starts and did not allow a run while delivering 12 strikeouts in 11.2 innings. Fellow rookie Alyssa Zabala started three games and logged a team-high 13.1 innings, registering eight strikeouts.
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With a challenging spring schedule on the horizon, Aprile was pleased with what she saw both on and off the field in the fall.
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"Cultivating our team dynamic takes constant and consistent effort, especially at the beginning of year when people are learning and getting to know each other and building relationships," said Aprile. "Developing and creating our culture and the daily connections and interactions are so important. There are a lot of concepts we implement in the fall that are important to our development and we accomplished those goals."
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