Louisville Heads to WKU for Midweek Matchup

Wednesday, March 18

Bowling Green, KY

7:00 PM

University of Louisville

Western Kentucky University

Addyson O'Dell hits the ball during the game against Evansville at Ulmer Stadium on March 10.

Photo by: Renelleda Saint - Hilaire | Louisville Athletics

March 17, 2026 | Softball

Louisville Game Notes

The Cards are 22-4 all time in the series against the Hilltoppers.

By: Kennedy Knisley

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The University of Louisville softball team travels to Western Kentucky on Wednesday for a midweek contest at the WKU Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Louisville recently defeated Clemson 7-6 on Sunday but only clinched the lone game in the series. The Cardinals overcame a six-run deficit in the final two innings to complete the comeback over Clemson on Sunday, marking the 11th come-from-behind victory of the season.

Louisville was down 6-0 heading into the sixth inning against the Tigers, nearly escaping a run-rule loss. The Cards scored five runs in the top of the sixth and two runs in the seventh, holding Clemson scoreless in the final frames to secure the win.

QUICK HITS

Chelsea Mack leads the team with a .471 batting average, tallying 41 hits in 87 at-bats, 25 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, and 12 RBIs. Her 21 stolen bases rank first in the ACC and third nationally.
Madison Pickens is second on the team with a .410 average, collecting 34 hits, 25 runs, seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, and a team-high 28 RBIs.
Bri Despines is third on the team with a .397 average, posting 29 hits, 22 runs, seven doubles, two home runs, and 25 RBIs, with a .603 slugging percentage.
Louisville leads the ACC in stolen bases (64) and triples (16) and is third in the conference in on-base percentage (.447). The Cards rank fourth in the ACC and 19th nationally with a .351 batting average on the season.
Through 27 games, eight Cardinals have double-digit RBIs and seven have recorded at least 20 hits.
Freshman Jayden Gohs leads the Louisville pitching staff with a 3.11 ERA and three wins in 27 innings pitched, giving up just 12 earned runs and striking out 16 so far.
Senior Alyssa Zabala leads the team with 47 strikeouts and five wins in 53.0 innings. She has made a team-high 17 appearances in eight starts, limiting opponents to a team-best .240 batting average.

SCOUTING THE WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS

Series Record: Louisville leads 22-4
At Louisville: Louisville leads 12-2
At WKU: Louisville leads 10-2
Last Meeting: April 22, 2025 - WKU defeated Louisville 2-0 at home to split the series on the year
Scouting the Hilltoppers: Western Kentucky enters the matchup with a 19–6 overall record and a 3–3 mark in Conference USA play. The Hilltoppers are 13–0 at home, 2–4 on the road and 4–2 at neutral sites this season.
WKU is batting .342 as a team with 227 hits, 155 runs and 31 home runs in 25 games, while posting a .408 on-base percentage and .547 slugging percentage. The Hilltoppers have also recorded 43 stolen bases in 49 attempts.
Annie White leads the team with a .464 batting average, collecting 32 hits, seven home runs and 29 RBIs, while carrying a .567 on-base percentage and .841 slugging percentage. Jenna Blanton is batting .461 with a team-high 35 hits and 24 runs scored, adding 14 stolen bases. Morgan Sharpe is hitting .384 with seven doubles and four triples, while Maci Masters leads the team with nine home runs and 22 RBIs.
In the circle, WKU has posted a 2.19 team ERA with opponents batting .187. The pitching staff has recorded 122 strikeouts in 160 innings. Erica Houge leads the pitching staff with a 10–2 record and a 1.71 ERA in 73.2 innings, while Maddy Wood is 5–1 with a 2.58 ERA. Rylan Smith has 51 strikeouts in 44.0 innings and is holding opponents to a .150 batting average.
Amy Tudor is in her 13th season at WKU, tallying 384 wins at the helm of the program.