By Matthew Keck —
It was another long weekend for the University of Louisville softball team at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Feb. 14-16. The Cards only came away with one win from their four games in Chapel Hill, N.C.
They kicked the weekend off against the University of Michigan Feb. 14, losing 6-2 to the Wolverines.
The Cards had trouble getting their bats going until the fifth inning, when redshirt sophomore Taylor Roby dropped a two-run bomb the put them on the board. But this would end up being the Cards only runs.
All together the Cardinals finished with 15 strikeouts, 8 runners left on base and only 6 hits total.
Junior Chardonnay Harris suffered her fourth loss of the season on the mound for the Cards. Through two and one thirds innings, she let up 5 hits and four earned runs without striking out a single batter.
In their second game of the day, the Cardinals faced off with the University of Wisconsin Badgers. They played a much closer game with the Badgers but ultimately came away with another loss.
Roby pitched the entire game for U of L, only giving up two runs and striking out six badgers.
Unfortunately Roby’s efforts on the mound couldn’t make up for the Cards lack of offense. They posted a dismal three hits the entire game and left five runners stranded on base.
In a quick turn around the next day, the Cards played the Badgers again Feb. 15, this time pulling out a 3-2 win.
They took the first lead of the game when tripled in the fourth inning, bringing home two runs to put the Cards ahead. Sophomore Cassady Greenwood sealed the deal for the Cards in the fourth with an RBI single to shortstop, knocking in their third run.
Roby was back on the mound again for the Cards, but this time victorious and getting her second win of the season. She finished with 5 strikeouts, along with only giving up six hits and one earned run to Badgers. ‘
To end the weekend the Cards had to take on Michigan again Feb. 16. With more offense to show for this game, it still wasn’t enough for the Cards to pull out a win, losing 8-4.
Roby hit her second home run of the weekend to put the Cards on top 3-1 in the third inning. And they were tied 4-4 heading in to the top of the sixth, but Michigan had a big inning, scoring four runs to grab the win.
It was yet another issue of leaving runners on base, with the Cards leaving nine runners stranded the entire game.
Harris and Roby shared time on the mound but struggled, giving up three earned runs each. Roby took her third loss on the mound this season for the Cards after this game.
