Otis, Cards Walk Off NC State in Nine Innings to Complete Series Sweep

Sunday, March 26

LOUISVILLE, KY

12:30 PM

University of Louisville

22-9, 0

NC State

11-20, 0

NC State

Louisville

Photo by: Karthik Kalvakuri | Louisville Athletics

Otis, Cards Walk Off NC State in Nine Innings to Complete Series Sweep

March 26, 2023 | Softball

Box Score Pickle Winkler Postgame Interview

UofL SB: Otis, Cards Walk Off NC State in Nine Innings to Complete Series Sweep
Cards register second straight ACC series sweep, extend win streak to seven games
Date: March 26, 2023
Contact: Lori Korte Harmon
Online: https://uofl.me/3noPRBv

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Korbe Otis' single in the bottom of the ninth scored Madison 'Pickle' Winkler to lift the University of Louisville softball team to a 3-2 extra-inning win over NC State Sunday at Ulmer Stadium.

With the victory, the Cards (22-9, 7-2 ACC) completed a three-game sweep of the Wolfpack and extended their win streak to seven games.

"A series sweep is a really difficult thing to do, so I was proud of our team to keep battling," said UofL head coach Holly Aprile. "We made some mistakes, we didn't do everything right in that game, but we came through and did some really good things."

In Sunday's series finale, the total offense was held in check with four of the five runs in the game coming from sacrifice flies, leading to a 2-2 tie after seven complete innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, Winkler delivered a leadoff single and moved to second on Paige Geraghty's sacrifice bunt. With one out in the inning, Otis stepped up the to plate and sent a single to shallow left field. Winkler rounded third and was called safe on a play at the plate for the game-winning run.

Taylor Roby (6-4) picked up the win, holding the Wolfpack scoreless in two innings of relief. She followed strong performances by starter Sam Booe, who surrendered one earned run on two hits and struck out four in 5.1 innings of work and Alyssa Zabala who also gave up an earned run in 1.2 innings of relief.

"I was really proud of our pitching staff," said Aprile. "I thought Sam Booe gave us another really terrific start, Alyssa Zabala came in and held them and Taylor Roby closed the door."

Ally Alexander went 3-for-3 with a double and Otis went 2-for-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run while Winkler finished with a run and an RBI to help lead the Cards at the plate.

Louisville jumped on the scoreboard early with a run in the first inning after Otis led off with her fifth triple of the season and crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sarah Gordon.

The Wolfpack answered in the top of the third when hits by Katlyn Pavlick and Hannah Goodwin led to a sacrifice fly by Haley Haislip to even the score at 1-1.

Neither team was able to produce another run until the Cards broke through in the sixth. Daisy Hess walked, Easton Lotus singled and Alexander was hit by a pitch to bring up Winkler whose sacrifice fly put the Cards back on top 2-1.

The lead was short-lived with the Wolfpack adding another sacrifice fly, this time form Taylor Ensley in the top of the seventh.

The teams held each other in check in the eighth inning, with Louisville shortstop Daisy Hess teaming with File for a double play after MaKayla Marbury led off with a hit. In the bottom of the eighth, Lotus singled and was thrown out at the plate while trying to score on a hit by Ally Alexander to keep the score tied at 2-2.

Aisha Weixlmann (3-7) took the loss, allowing one earned run on four hits in 2.1 innings. Kaylee Lambrecht went 2-for-3 to lead the Wolfpack (11-20, 4-8 ACC) at the plate.