By Jesse Welte

The University of Louisville softball team hosted the University of Iowa, Kansas University and Kent State University during its first tournament of the 2007 season.

The Red and Black tournament was held at Ulmer Stadium on the Belknap campus from Feb. 23-25.

U of L, who dropped out of the top 25 the previous week, faced Kansas in their first game of the tournament, as well as their home opener.

Freshman Melissa Roth went three for three and scored two runs as the Cardinal softball team had nine hits in a 7-1 win on Friday.

Brittany York added three RBI with a bases-clearing double in the fifth, while Brooke McCrain led off the sixth with a solo home run over the center field fence for the final 7-1 tally. Catherine Bishop got the win, in relief of Kassie Stanfill.

Bishop held Kansas scoreless on three hits, striking out seven in four innings of relief. Stanfill surrendered one earned run on three hits and struck out three in three innings.

“Kansas is a good team with good pitcher and I was happy with how we were aggressive and attacked at the plate,” said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. “I was also pleased with Catherine Bishop’s performance today. She came in and did a great job.”

Kassie Humphreys took the loss for Kansas, giving up six runs, on nine hits and striking out five in five innings. Kansas also lost the first game of the day, 4-1 to Kent State.

The tournament continued on Saturday. However, in the final game of the day, Louisville’s 3 p.m. matchup with Kent St. was cancelled due to inclement weather. In the other Saturday games, Iowa defeated Kent State 5-2 and Kansas beat Iowa 7-3.

On the final day of the tournament, Louisvilleís softball team fell to visiting Iowa 3-2 in eight innings on Sunday.

For the Hawkeyes, Quinn Morelock reached on a fielder’s choice which let pinch runner Callie Adreon to score and make it a 1-0 game in the top of the first.

The Cards made up the run in the third inning. Candi Hicks led off with a single and moved to second following a Courtney Moore walk.

Roth then loaded the bases, reaching on a fielder’s choice. Hicks was thrown out on the next play after York’s fielder’s choice. McCrain followed with an RBI single to tie the game 1-1.

Kristi Cunningham gave the Cards a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning with a solo home run to center field.

In the top of the fifth, Kansas pulled even. Catherine Bishop had retired eight consecutive batters when Kansas’s Colleen McGlaughlin delivered a two-out single. Rachel West entered the game as a pinch runner, stole second and scored on Sami Baugh’s single to center field.

At a 2-2 tie, the game proceeded into extra innings, where the international tiebreaker rule was utilized. According to this rule, each team was allowed to place the player batting ninth in the inning at second base to begin the inning.

For Kansas, McGloughlin was placed at second to start the eighth inning and scored on Baugh’s double to give the Hawkeyes a 3-2 lead.

The Cardinals had a chance to score in the home half of the inning when Roth was placed at second and McCrain and Kassie Stanfill drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out.

Roth was thrown out at home on Sarah Totten’s fielder’s choice and Iowa starter Amanda Zust struck out the final batter to end the game and get the win.

Bishop took the loss, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out 11 in eight innings.

The Cards had six hits in the game. McCrain went two for three with an RBI and Cunningham finished one for two with a home run.

Zust (5-3) got the win, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out eight in eight innings. Nichols and Baugh each went two for three to lead the Hawkeyes at the plate.

In the second game, Kansas defeated Kent St. 4-0. The Cards’ final game against Kent St. was once again cancelled due to inclement weather and travel conditions. The Cards came away from the tournament 1-1.