Cardinals Battle Back to Beat NC State 9-7

Saturday, April 2

Raleigh, NC

1:00 PM

University of Louisville

19-14, 3-5

NC State

24-13, 4-10

Louisville

NC State

April 02, 2022 | Softball

Box Score

Carmyn Greenwood's five RBIs help Louisville overcome a 5-0 deficit in 9-7 win at NC State

By: Lori Harmon

Graduate senior Carmyn Greenwood's career-high five RBIs helped the University of Louisville softball team overcome a 5-0 deficit and then break a 7-7 tie in a 9-7 win over host NC State on Saturday at Dail Stadium.

The contest featured three lead changes and a tie and saw the Cardinals pound out 12 hits in the final four innings to even the conference series. Greenwood's three-run homer in the fourth gave Louisville its first lead of the game after falling behind 5-0 in the second inning. The left fielder came in clutch again with a two-run double to break open a 7-7 tie in the seventh inning.

Louisville (19-14, 3-5 ACC) and NC State (24-13, 4-10) will meet again in the rubber game on Sunday at 12 p.m.

The Wolfpack jumped on the scoreboard with five runs in the bottom of the second. Taylor Johnson walked and scored on a fielding miscue after Taylor Johnson's base hit. Libby Whittaker followed with a two-run homer. A bases-loaded hit by pitch and a walk plated two more runs to give NC State a 5-0 lead.

The Cardinals' offense heated up in the top of the fourth as Louisville capitalized on six hits - including home runs by Dylann Cravens and Greenwood – to score seven runs. Roby was hit by a pitch to start the frame and was lifted for pinch-runner Sydney Bickell. Kendall Smith followed with a single for Louisville's first hit of the game. With two runners on and no outs in the inning, Cravens lined a shot over the fence in left center field for her second collegiate home run in as many days. Ally Alexander was hit by a pitch and Vanessa Miller singled to set up Hannah File's RBI double which pulled Louisville within a run. One out later, Greenwood smashed a shot over the right field fence to give the Cards a 7-5 lead for her 11^th homer of the season.

Redshirt senior Taylor Roby entered to pitch with two outs in the bottom of the second and held the Wolfpack in check until the fifth when Jackson's RBI double and an RBI single by Logan Morris tied the score at 7-7.

Louisville's defense stymied a Wolfpack scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth. Brittany Jackson doubled and moved to third on a passed ball when Michele Tarpey walked to put runners on the corners with no outs in the inning. Catcher Kendall Smith teamed with shortstop Ally Alexander to tag Johnson out at the plate. Roby delivered a strikeout and got a flyout to end the inning to keep the game knotted at 7-7.

Greenwood's two-run double in the top of the seventh pushed the Cardinals ahead 9-7. Ally Alexander and Miller got the frame started with back-to-back singles. After Servi's groundout moved both runners, Greenwood knocked an 0-2 pitch to centerfield, sending both baserunners home to give the Cards a 9-7 lead.

A two-out single by Morris brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Servi caught a line drive at third base to end the game.

Roby (9-5) picked up the win after surrendering two earned runs on five hits and striking out five in 5.1 innings of relief. Miller finished the game with a career-high three hits and scored two runs. File and Otis had two hits apiece to help pace the Cardinals at the plate.

NOTES:

Saturday's win marks the third time this season that the Cardinals have overcome a deficit of five runs or more. On March 13, Louisville rallied from being down 5-0 in the third to beat Indiana 16-5 in six innings. On March 18, the Cards were trailing 6-0 in the fifth to Georgia Tech before rallying to an 11-8 win.
The seven-run fourth mark tie a season high for runs in an inning for Louisville. The Cards also put up a seven-spot in the fifth in the 16-5 win over Indiana on March 13.
Carmyn Greenwood tallied her 11th home run of the season – and has homered in back-to-back games. Her home run total, along with her 38 RBIs and 38 runs scored are career-bests.
Greenwood and Roby are tied atop team leaders with 11 homers each – it marks the first time since 2016 that two players have reached double digits in home runs. That year, Megan Hensley had 13 while Maryssa Becker tallied 10.
Ally Alexander has now reached base safely in 16 straight games.
Dylann Cravens has reached safely in 12 straight games and is currently on a four-game hitting streak.