Louisville Plays Host to Kentucky Wednesday

Wednesday, April 10

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

7:00 PM

University of Louisville

Kentucky

Photo by: Rachel Klotz | Louisville Athletics

April 09, 2024 | Softball

Louisville Softball Game Notes vs. Kentucky

In-state rival Kentucky will visit Ulmer Stadium Wednesday at 7 p.m. for an ACC Network-televised game

By: Lori Harmon

GAME INFORMATION
Date: April 10, 2024
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Venue: Don Dobina Field at Ulmer Stadium
Admission: $10 stadium seating. Purchase here
Gates Open: One (1) hour prior to first pitch
Clear Bag Policy: A Clear Bag Policy remains in place at all UofL athletics facilities. Fans may bring one clear bag, either a one-gallon clear Ziploc-style storage bag, or a 12 x 6 x 12 inches clear tote bag.
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in the Floyd Street Parking Garage for a $5 fee.
Twitter Updates: @LouisvilleSB
Coverage: ACC Network - Matt Schumacker (play-by-play); Carol Bruggeman (analyst(
Links: Live Scoring | ACC Network Watch Link

The University of Louisville softball team will take a break from Atlantic Coast Conference play when the Cardinals play host to in-state rival Kentucky Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Ulmer Stadium.

QUICK HITS
• The Cards enter the contest with a 23-16 overall record following a 1-2 showing against No. 18 Florida State last weekend.
• The Cardinals are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Today Coaches poll released on April 9.
• Louisville is hitting .285 as a team with four players carrying an average of .300 or better.
• UofL was picked to finish sixth in the 2024 ACC preseason coaches' poll.
• The 2024 campaign marks the 25th season in program history. The program started in 2000 and boasts 15 NCAA tournament appearances and five conference championships.

PLAYER NOTES
• Alyssa Zabala (16-9) carries a 2.67 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 115.1 innings. Her 16 victories lead the ACC and stand seventh in the national standings. The sophomore has earned the last six wins and 13 of the last 14 for the Cardinals.
• Daisy Hess and Riley Frizell are tied for the team lead with a .352 batting average. Hess leads the team with 27 runs, 28 walks and a .489 on-base percentage. The fifth-year senior shortstop has reached base safely via a hit or walk in the last 18 games.
• Frizell has produced a team-best 41 RBIs and nine home runs, both career highs. The senior first baseman is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and leads the team with 10 multi-RBI games.
• Kiley Goff stands tied for second on the team with 23 runs. She has been hit by a pitch 19 times in Louisville's 39 games and leads the nation in that category. Goff has also earned 24 walks and carries a .447 on-base percentage.
• Vanessa Miller leads the team with a career-best 12 stolen bases and stands second on the team with seven homers and 26 RBIs - both are career highs for the senior right fielder.

THE APRILE ERA
• Holly Aprile is in her sixth season as UofL's head coach. During her time at Louisville, which includes the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, the Cardinals have amassed 152 wins and earned a pair of NCAA regional appearances with the 2023 Knoxville Regional and the 2019 NCAA Evanston Regional finals. She was named the Leadership Playbook 2022-23 Collegiate Coach of the Year.
• Prior to her arrival at Louisville, Aprile, the 2018 ACC Coach of the Year spent 10 seasons (2009-18) as Pittsburgh's head coach and five years (2004-08) as an assistant. In 2018, she earned ACC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Panthers to the 2018 ACC Coastal Division title and a runner-up finish in the ACC tournament.

CARDS AGAINST KENTUCKY
Series Record: Kentucky leads 24-20
Last Meeting: March 29, 2023 - UK won 7-4 at John Cropp Stadium.
• The Cards scored three runs in the top of the seventh, but fell short in a 7-4 loss to in-state rival No. 16/16 Kentucky
Scouting the Wildcats: Kentucky enters the game with a 24-14 following a 1-0 win in the SEC series finale at No. 13 Texas A&M. Prior to that, the Aggies took the first two games by scores of 5-4 and 10-9. The Wildcats are receiving votes in both the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association and ESPN.com/USA Softball coaches polls.
• Erin Coffel carries a .340 batting average and leads the Wildcats with 27 runs and 29 RBIs and is tied for the team lead with 11 home runs.
• Stephanie Schoonover (14-6) carries a 2.33 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 111.0 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .203 batting average.
COACHING CONNECTIONS
• UofL head coach Holly Aprile and UK head coach Rachel Lawson were teammates at UMass and helped lead the Minutewomen to a Women's College World Series appearance in 1992.
• UofL assistant coach Griffin Joiner is a UK alum and played for Lawson from 2012-15. She also served as a grad manager for her alma mater from 2016-17

UP NEXT
The Cardinals will embark on a seven-game road swing starting with a weekend Atlantic Coast Conference series at Georgia Tech.

LAST UP
Last weekend, Louisville played host to No. 18/18 Florida State in a three-game ACC series. Each game was tightly contested with the Cardinals taking the opener in walk-off fashion with ailee Richardson connecting on an RBI single to break a 4-4 tie with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to give the Cards the 5-4 win.
• In game two, the Seminoles came away with an 8-4 in a contest that featured three lead changes and a tie at 4-4 in the fifth . FSU plated four runs in the final two innings to even the series.
• In Sunday's finale, the Cardinals held the lead twice, but errors proved to be costly as Florida State capitalized on the miscues and registered six hits to claim the series.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS
• Riley Frizell led the Cardinals at the plate in their weekend series against No. 18 Florida State with a .500 batting average (4-for-8), .875 slugging percentage and .636 on-base percentage.
• The senior first baseman had at least one hit in each game, including an RBI triple and scored a run in Louisville's 5-4 series-opening win.
• Alyssa Zabala posted a 1.62 ERA on the weekend and tossed a team-high 13 innings in three appearances.
• In Friday's series opener, the sophomore RHP picked up her league-best 16th win, allowing four runs, two earned and scattering five hits while striking out five in her sixth complete game of the season.