Louisville Falls Short at Boston College in Eight Innings

Saturday, May 4

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

12:00 PM

University of Louisville

26-25, 7-16

Boston College

29-22, 9-14

Louisville

Boston College

The Cards huddle up before the game against Western Kentucky on February 27, 2024.

Photo by: Caleb Jones |University of Louisville Athletics

Louisville Falls Short at Boston College in Eight Innings

May 04, 2024 | Softball

Box Score

Boston College scores three unanswered runs to win 4-3 in eight innings and clinch the series

By: Lori Harmon

BRIGHTON Mass. – The University of Louisville softball team fell 4-3 to Boston in eight innings Saturday afternoon at Harrington Athletics Village. The teams will conclude the series Sunday at 11 a.m.

The Cardinals (26-25, 7-16) built a 3-1 lead entering the bottom of the fifth, but the Eagles (29-22, 9-14) plated a run in the fifth and again in the seventh to even the score, sending the contest into extra innings. A two-out RBI single by Gator Robinson in the eighth gave Boston College the series win.

Riley Frizell went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Daisy Hess went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs to lead the Cards at the plate. Alyssa Zabala (18-16) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on three hits and striking out three in 3.0 innings of relief.

For the second straight game in the series, Louisville struck early with a pair of runs in the first inning. Hess led off the game with a walk and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Chelsea Mack. After a walk to Frizell, Bailee Richardson delivered an RBI hit to send Hess home. With two outs in the inning, pinch runner Pickle Winkler scored from second base on Vanessa Miller's single to put Louisville on top 2-0.

The Eagles countered with a run in the third, capitalizing on three hits including an RBI single by Nicole Giery to cut the lead in half.

Boston College had a scoring opportunity in the fourth when a pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs, but reliever Brooke Gray got Giery to Maddi Grant at third base to end the threat.

Louisville extended its lead in the fifth when Hess and Mack registered back-to-back one-out hits to set up Frizell's RBI single which sent Hess home for her second run of the game to give the Cards a 3-1 lead.

The Eagles got a run back in the home half of the inning as an error allowed Jordan Stephens to reach. Jules Shields followed with a hit and Emma Jackson walked to load the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Makenna Segal made the score 3-2 and placed runners on second and third, but Zabala, who had entered to pitch earlier in the inning, dealt a strikeout to keep BC at bay.

The Cards had a chance to push another run across in the sixth when Miller and Katie Thatcher earned back-to-back walks to start the frame and Grant's sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position with one out, but BC reliever Halie Pappion retired the next two batters.

The seventh inning brought another chance for Louisville to add an insurance run as walks to Frizell and Gabby Holloway put two on, but a strikeout ended the top of the inning.

Boston College capitalized in the home half of the seventh when Stephens singled and came home on Jackson's hit to left field to even the score at 3-3.

In the top of the eighth, the Cards got a pair of singles from Kiley Goff and Hess to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but a fly out sent the game to the home half of the inning.

With the score still knotted at 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Kali Case delivered a one-out hit and was ruled safe at second when Hannah Slike's hit fell into shallow center field and Bailee Richardson came up with a throw to Hess at second base. After a fly out to left field for the second out of the inning, Robinson's single to right field sealed the 4-3 win for the Eagles.

Pappion (11-7) picked up the win, holding the Cardinals scoreless and scattering two hits with five strikeouts in 3.2 innings.