Cards Sweep Pitt in ACC Doubleheader

Friday, March 17

LOUISVILLE, KY

3:00 PM

University of Louisville

16-9, 0

Pittsburgh

14-8, 0

Pittsburgh

Louisville

March 17, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

File, Hess, Roby homer as Cards win 12-2 in game one; Lotus’ RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh lifts Louisville to 5-4 win in the nightcap

By: Lori Harmon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team swept Pitt 12-2 and 5-4 in an Atlantic Coast Conference doubleheader Friday at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville (17-9, 3-2 ACC) and Pitt (14-9, 0-2) are slated to wrap up the series at 1 p.m. Saturday.

In the first game of the day, the Cardinals cranked out 12 hits, five for extra bases including home runs by Hannah File, Daisy Hess and Taylor Roby en route to a 12-2 win. The nightcap ended with a walk-off single by Easton Lotus after Pitt tied the game with a four-run sixth inning rally as the Cards clinched the series with a 5-4 victory.

On the day, freshman Alyssa Zabala picked up a pair of wins in the circle while fellow rookie Sarah Gordon went 5-for-6 with three doubles, a home run and scored five runs while driving in four.

Louisville 12 – Pitt 2 (5 inn.)
In the series opener, Roby went 2-for-2 with four RBIs and Gordon went 2-for-2 with a double and three runs scored to help lead Louisville at the plate.

The Cardinals opened the scoring early, using four hits, including an RBI double by Gordon, a two-run homer from File and Paige Geraghty's RBI single.

The second inning brought more Louisville offense as Roby blasted a two-run shot for her team-best eighth homer of the season and 48^th of her career. Hess scored on a double steal and an error plated Lotus to make the score 8-0.

The third inning saw four more runs courtesy of Roby's two-run double and Hess' two-run homer to extend the lead to 12-0.

The Panther's got on the scoreboard in the fourth with an RBI hit by Cami Compson and added a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kylie Griggs in the fifth to bring the final score to 12-2.

Abby Edwards (4-5) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on four hits and striking out two in 0.2 innings.

Zabala (7-3) got the win, allowing one earned run on two hits and striking out two in four innings.

Louisville 5 – Pitt 4
In Friday's second game, the Cardinals built a 4-0 lead through the first four innings, but Pitt rallied to tie the game in the sixth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Hess reached safely on an infield hit and an error allowed Vanessa Miller to reach, placing runners on first and second for Lotus, who worked the count full and delivered an infield hit to score Hess for the walk-off win.

For the second time in as many games, Gordon delivered a double in her first at bat. She rounded third and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hess to put the Cards on the board. The freshman catcher's hot bat continued with a two-run homer to make the score 3-0 in the third.

The fourth inning featured another run courtesy of Gordon. This time, Ally Alexander singled and Gordon connected on a two-out RBI double to give Louisville a 4-0 lead.

Pitt used five hits, including Haylie Brunson's two-run double, to even the score at 4-4 in the top of the sixth.

Gordon finished the game with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored. Hess, Lotus and Alexander each had a pair of hits in the contest.

Zabala (8-3) got the win after holding the Panthers scoreless and surrendering one hit in the seventh inning.

Dani Drogemuller (5-4) took the loss, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits and striking out eight in 6.2 innings of work. Kayla Lane paced Pitt offensively, going 2-for-3 with a run.