Louisville Secures Two Wins in Second Day of Cardinal Classic

Saturday, March 7

LOUISVILLE, KY

9:00 AM

University of Louisville

16-5

Ball State University

9-7

Ball State

Louisville

Photo by: Mason Seidt | Louisville Athletics

Louisville Secures Two Wins in Second Day of Cardinal Classic

March 07, 2026 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

The Cards move to 17-5 on the season.

By: Erin Hughes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team went 2-0 on the second day of the Cardinal Classic, taking an 8-1 win over Ball State in five innings before beating Illinois 8-6.

With the wins, the Cards move to 17-5 (2-1 ACC) on the season, and Jayden Gohs (2-0) and Alyssa Zabala (5-1) both added to their personal win columns. Gohs pitched a five-inning complete game, allowing just one run on one hit and striking out five. Zabala recorded her 300th career strikeout against Illinois, finishing the day with eight strikeouts through six innings of work.

Camryn Lookadoo, Madison Pickens and Katie Thatcher all homered against Ball State to lead the UofL offense. Lookadoo finished the day with four hits and four RBIs across both games. Lookadoo, Easton Lotus and Chelsea Mack all posted triples between the two games as the trio combined for seven of the day's RBIs.

Ball State struck first in the opening frame as a double scored a runner from first to get BSU on the board. Louisville answered in the home half of the inning after a two-run homer to center field from Lookadoo that scored Bri Despines put UofL in the lead.

A 1-2-3 inning for Gohs in the top of the second allowed Louisville to get back to the plate quickly. Jordan Williams singled to start off the bottom of the inning before Thatcher launched a home run of her own to center field.

The scoring parade continued in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Lookadoo posted her third and fourth RBIs of the day with a single that scored Mack and Despines in the third. Mack then singled in Lotus in the home frame of the fourth to put Louisville ahead 7-1. UofL's eighth run of the day came on a third Cardinal homer, this time off the bat of Pickens.

The game ended with an 8-1 win for Louisville after five full innings following a weather suspension.

Illinois struck first in the second game of the day, plating three runs on three hits in the first inning. Louisville looked to have an answer in the bottom of the inning, but left two runners on after a lineout right back to the Illini pitcher.

Zabala grabbed her 300th career strikeout in the top of the third inning, marking her fourth of the day to post a second straight scoreless inning. After a leadoff triple by Lookadoo to start the bottom of the fourth, Pickens was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. Williams doubled in Lookadoo and Pickens before Thatcher used a double of her own to plate Williams.

The Cards took the lead after a pinch-hit double from Ava Venturelli scored Thatcher, and Addy O'Dell reentered for Venturelli at second. Lotus singled to get runners on the corner, and Mack used a sacrifice fly to bring in O'Dell and round out a six-run inning for UofL.

Louisville tacked on a seventh run in the fifth following a leadoff single and stolen base from Williams who then advanced to third on a groundout. Riley Janda plated Williams, and Lotus knocked a triple to the left field wall to score Janda.

Illinois added on runs in the sixth and seventh, but Anna Wise entered in the final frame to clinch the 8-6 win.

Louisville will round out the Cardinal Classic on Sunday, March 8, at 4:30 p.m. with a rematch against Illinois.