Cards Fall Short to No. 25 Virginia in ACC Tournament

Wednesday, May 7

Brighton, MA

5:00 PM

University of Louisville

26-25

Virginia

37-16

Louisville

Virginia

May 07, 2025 | Softball

Box Score

Louisville builds a 2-0 lead, but Virginia rallies to score three late-inning runs to win 3-2 in the first round of the ACC Tournament

By: Lori Harmon

BRIGHTON, Mass. – The University of Louisville softball team fell 3-2 to No. 25 Virginia in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Wednesday evening at Harrington Athletic Village on the campus of Boston College.

Tenth-seeded Louisville (26-25) built a 2-0 lead, but the No. 7 seeded Cavaliers (37-16) rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth and used a walk-off double by Kelly Ayer to secure the 3-2 win.

Bri Despines and Maddi Grant each went 2-for-4 while Camryn Lookadoo and Chelsea Mack registered a hit and scored a run apiece as the Cards tallied eight hits in the contest. Alyssa Zabala (10-11) was solid in the circle, surrendering three runs, one earned, on seven hits and striking out two.

The teams played through two scoreless innings before the Cardinals broke through with a run in the top of the third. Mack led off the frame by sending a chopper to third as an errant throw found its way to the right field corner, the speedy center fielder raced around the bases and crossed the plate to put Louisville up 1-0.

The Cards added another run in the sixth when Lookadoo delivered a leadoff single, took second on a sacrifice bunt by Madison Pickens and moved to third on a groundout by Ally Alexander. With two outs in the inning, Katie Thatcher connected on a pinch-hit single to plate Lookadoo and extend the lead to 2-0

Virginia countered with a pair of unearned runs in the home half of the sixth. Ayer singled and an error saw her safe at second on Bella Cabral's fielder's choice, marking only the second time in the game that the Cavaliers had a runner in scoring position. Cabral was then called safe at second on a two-out fielder's choice by Sarah Coon to load the bases for Sydney Hartgrove's two-run single which knotted the score at 2-2.

Louisville threatened in the seventh when Grant connected on a two-out double and was lifted for pinch runner Riley Janda who advanced on a wild pitch, placing the go-ahead run at third, but a fly out ended the top of the frame.

Virginia carried its momentum into the bottom of the seventh as Kailyn Jones reached on a fielder's choice and Jade Hilton drew a walk to place two runners on with one out. Ayer sent a double to left center, bringing Jones home for the 3-2 final.

Eden Bigham (17-8) picked up the win in the circle, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and striking out two in five innings of relief. Hartgrove went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Ayer went 2-for-4 with double, a run and an RBI to lead the Cavaliers at the plate.