Louisville Wraps Up Cardinal Classic with 5-4 Win Over Illinois

Sunday, March 17

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

5:00 PM

University of Louisville

19-9

Illinois

11-13

Illinois

Louisville

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

Louisville Wraps Up Cardinal Classic with 5-4 Win Over Illinois

March 17, 2024 | Softball

Box Score Riley Frizell Postgame Interview

Riley Frizell's solo home run in the fifth gave the Cards a 5-4 lead

By: Lori Harmon

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team edged Illinois 5-4 in the final game of the Cardinal Classic Sunday evening at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville (19-8) will hit the road for Oxford, Ohio on Tuesday to take on Miami (Ohio) in a midweek matchup.

The back-and-forth contest featured three lead changes and a tie, Riley Frizell's home run in the fifth inning gave the Cardinals the lead for good. Daisy Hess paced Louisville offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double and driving in two runs.

Alyssa Zabala (11-3) earned the win in the circle, allowing four earned runs on nine hits and striking out four in 6.2 innings of work. Gabby Holloway held the Fighting Illini in check while picking up her second save of the season.

After a scoreless first inning, the Fighting Illini (11-13) pushed a pair of runs across in the top of the second. Adisyn Caryl and Megan Ward led off the frame with back-to-back doubles to put Illinois on the scoreboard. Malott's RBI single sent Ward home, extending the lead to 2-0.

The Cardinals answered in the bottom of the third when Kiley Goff earned a leadoff walk, stole second and eventually came around to score on Paige Geraghty's single.

Illinois tacked on another run in the fourth inning behind an RBI double by Kelly Ryono.

Louisville countered in the home half of the frame, capitalizing on three hits to put up a three-spot. Ally Alexander delivered a two-out single and Kiley Goff walked to put two on for Chelsea Mack who connected on an RBI hit. Paige Geraghty was hit by a pitch to load the bases to set the table for Daisy Hess's two-run single which gave the Cards their first lead of the game at 4-3.

The lead was short-lived as the Fighting Illini using an RBI single by Sydney Malott to tie the game at 4-4.

The Cards got the run back courtesy of Frizell who crushed a shot over the right field fence for her team-best seventh home run of the season to put Louisville back on top 5-4.

The Fighting Illini threatened in the top of the seventh when Caryl connected on a two-out double and Ward walked to move the tying run in to scoring position and put the go-ahead run on base, but Holloway entered the circle in relief and retired Mallot to end the game.

Tori McQueen (6-6) took the loss, surrendering one earned run on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief. Caryl went 3-for-3 with a run and Malott had two hits and two RBIs to lead Illinois at the plate.