Cards Split on First Day of NFCA Leadoff Classic

Friday, February 10

Clearwater, FL

11:00 AM

University of Louisville

1-0

South Alabama

0-1

Louisville

South Alabama

February 10, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Louisville opens the 2023 season with a 4-2 win over South Alabama, falls 8-0 to No. 20/17 Kentucky in game two

By: Lori Harmon

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Louisville softball team defeated South Alabama 4-2 and fell 8-0 to No. 20/17 Kentucky on the first day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic Friday afternoon at Eddie C. Moore Field.

The Cardinals (1-1) will return to action on Saturday when they take on Southern at 4 p.m. followed by Missouri at 6:30 p.m.

Louisville 4 – South Alabama 2 (8 inn.)
In the Cardinals' season-opener, freshman Sarah Gordon paced the team offensively, going 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the eighth inning. Fellow freshman Alyssa Zabala (1-0) was solid in her collegiate debut, striking out three and allowing one unearned run in 3.0 innings of relief to pick up her first collegiate win in the circle.

The teams played through two scoreless innings before the Cardinals broke through with a run in the top of the third. With one out in the inning Korbe Otis registered her first hit of the season. One out later, Hannah File's single sent Otis to third and an error on the play sent her home to give Louisville a 1-0 lead.

The Jaguars answered in the home half of the third with an unearned run of their own. Back-to-back hits by Mackenzie Brasher and Meredith Keel put runners on for Victoria Ortiz who reached on a fielder's choice which say Keel out at second, but an error on the play sent Brasher home to even the score at 1-1.

Each team had a runner on in the seventh inning. Easton Lotus connected on a one-out single, but was stranded at first in the top half of the frame. South Alabama's Gabby Stagner drew a two-out walk, but Zabala fired a strikeout, sending the game into extra innings.

With the international tiebreaker rule in effect, Louisville started the top of the eighth with Korbe Otis as a runner at second base. Taylor Roby opened the inning with an RBI double. An error put Vanessa Miller at second and moved pinch runner Mia Forsythe to third for Gordon's two-run double which extended the lead to 4-1.

South Alabama countered with an unearned run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, but Zabala and the Cardinals' defense stood strong to close out the game.

The Jaguars' Olivia Lackie (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs, one earned, on four hits and striking out three. Keel led South Alabama with a 2-for-2, one RBI performance at the plate.

In her first game as a Cardinal, transfer Daisy Hess went 2-for-4 to help lead the Cardinals at the plate. Graduate senior Taylor Roby surrendered one unearned run on three hits and fanned two in 5.0 innings.

No. 20/17 Kentucky 8 – Louisville 0 (5 inn.)
In the second game of the day, No. 20/17 Kentucky capitalized on five hits and three Louisville errors to score eight runs in five innings. Roby and Paige Geraghty each had a single in the game for the Cardinals.

The Wildcats (2-0) used two doubles and an error to put up a three-spot in the first inning. In the third inning, another miscue allowed to more runs to score, giving UK a 5-0 lead. Karissa Hamilton's three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth sealed the win for the Wildcats.

Junior Gabby Holloway (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs, one earned, on three hits in 2.0 innings. Freshman Cassie Grizzard delivered two strikeouts and allowed five runs, three earned in 2.0 innings of relief.

Stephanie Schoonover (1-0) registered a pair of strikeouts in the shutout win. Hamilton finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

NOTES

With the win over South Alabama, Louisville is now 15-9 in season-opening games
Freshman Sarah Gordon first career hit, RBI and stolen base in the game against South Alabama
Freshman Alyssa Zabala earned her first win
Graduate senior Taylor Roby had a hit in each game, finishing the day batting .400 (2-for-4) with a walk and an RBI.