Cards' Offense Powers 13-4 Victory Over WKU

Wednesday, March 18

Bowling Green, KY

7:00 PM

University of Louisville

Western Kentucky University

March 18, 2026 | Softball

Box Score

Louisville had three home runs and 14 total hits on the day.

By: Erin Hughes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team tallied 14 hits with three home runs, defeating Western Kentucky 13-4 on Wednesday night at the WKU Softball Complex.

Louisville moves to 21-7 on the year, and Alyssa Zabala picked up the win in the circle to bring her record to 6-2. Chelsea Mack recorded her first career home run with an inside-the-park grand slam in the second inning. Bri Despines led the Cards with five RBIs, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a single and a walk.

After a quiet first inning from both teams, Louisville quickly had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the second. Mack knocked an inside-the-park grand slam down the left field line to score Addy O'Dell, Riley Janda and Jordan Williams. Zabala responded with a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to keep a 4-0 lead.

WKU got on the board in the third after a two-run homer and a sacrifice fly to get back within one at 4-3. UofL put up another four-spot in the following frame to double its score, starting with an RBI single by Madison Pickens that scored Mack and put Easton Lotus on third. Taylor Monroe reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, and Camryn Lookadoo cleared them with a double to center field.

The top of the fifth saw Mack and Lotus reach with two outs before Despines launched her third home run of the year to right field to put Louisville ahead 11-3. The Toppers added one run in the bottom of the inning to escape the run-rule and make it 11-4.

Neither team scored in the sixth, but Despines struck again in the seventh, this time with a two-run shot to left-center field to extend the Cards' lead to nine at 13-4. Brooke Gray entered to close out the game and went three up, three down to seal the win.

Louisville heads back out on the road to play in the Ohio State Invitational from Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22. The Cards will face off against Ohio State, Campbell and Indiana State, with Saturday's game versus the Buckeyes being streamed on ESPN+.