By Jesse Welte

The University of Louisville softball team will finish out its home schedule on Friday and Sunday with doubleheaders against the University of Connecticut and Providence College. The Cardinals will have to dispatch of both of these conference rivals if they hope to remain among the top teams in the Big East.

UConn has been in the bottom half of the Big East for the most of the season. However, the Huskies are a team that the Cards cannot take lightly if they wish to repeat as Big East regular season champions. They will play the Huskies Friday at Ulmer Stadium with the first game scheduled to start a 4 p.m. and the second to start at 6 p.m.

The Huskies are led in batting by senior third baseman Holly Colcagno who is hitting .337 and is second on the team with six home runs. Second on the team in hitting is sophomore utility player Jillian Ortega who is hitting .333 with a team leading 23 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Micah Truax is batting .303 and leads the team with seven home runs and is second with 19 RBI.

UConn’s pitching staff is led by freshman Tricia Sullivan who is 6-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 13 games started. She has also struck out 50 batters in 83.1 innings pitched. Senior Krista Michalczyk is 8-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 16 starts.

Following the doubleheader with UConn, the Cards will return to action on Sunday for another twin bill with the Providence Friars. The games against the Friars will also take place at Ulmer Stadium and are slated to start at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The Friars’ leading batter is senior catcher Rachel Bartholomew. She has an .406 batting average and leads the team with both eight home runs and 35 RBI. Second on the team in those three categories is freshman first baseman Christy Becker. She is batting .337 with five homers and 24 RBI. Sophomore utility player Mary Rose Sheehy is third on the team with a .316 average and four home runs.

Senior Sara Surosky is the Friars’ ace. In 17 starts she has an 8-9 record with a 3.12 ERA. She has also hurled 87 strikeouts in 85.1 innings pitched. Freshman Danielle Bertelette is second on the pitching staff with 63.2 innings. She owns a 3-3 record with a 3.30 ERA. Sophomore Jennifer Maccio was named the Big East pitcher of the week with a 2-0 record and a 0.78 ERA last week. On the season she is 5-1 with a 5.41 ERA.