Louie the Cardinal Louisville Basketball Bird Photo by Mike Lindsay

Cardinal Grab Bag 5/12

Mark BlankenbakerMay 12, 2014

Louisville Baseball

Scoring two runs in the 11th inning, the fifth-ranked Louisville baseball team returned to its winning ways with a 6-4 series-clinching road victory over Temple on Sunday afternoon at Campbell’s Field.

After their 12-game winning streak was halted on Saturday, the Cardinals (40-12, 16-5 American) bounced back to clinch their third straight series triumph and remain tied for first atop the American Conference standings. Louisville also clinched its seventh 40-win season in eight years under the guidance of head coach Dan McDonnell, who is 349-154 with the Cardinals.

With the game even at 4-4, Louisville gained control in the 11th when senior third baseman Alex Chittenden (Indianapolis, Ind.), who started the inning with a single to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior catcher Kyle Gibson (Henderson, Ky.), stole third before scoring after the throw by Temple (13-29, 8-13) catcher Michael D’Acunti sailed over the head of third baseman Frank D’Agostino and into left field. Later in the inning, the Cardinals added an insurance run when junior Mike White (East Orange, N.J.), pinch running for freshman Will Smith (Louisville, Ky.) after he reached on another error by the Owls, scored from third on a two-out, RBI bunt by junior second baseman Zach Lucas (Louisville, Ky.).

The victory was locked down by junior righty Nick Burdi (Downers Grove, Ill.), who closed a strong performance by the Louisville bullpen by striking out six in three innings of perfect relief for to earn the win and improve to 3-1 on the season. Including the work from Burdi, who lowered his ERA 0.59 and has 53 strikeouts in 30.2 innings of relief this season, the bullpen finished with 11 strikeouts and allowed only one hit and in 6.2 innings of shutout relief.

At the plate, Gibson finished 3-of-5 with a RBI and a stolen base, while Chittenden was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Senior outfielder Jeff Gardner (Louisville, Ky.) was 2-for-5 with his team-leading seventh home run and two runs driven in, while senior outfielder Cole Sturgeon (Owensboro, Ky.) added a home run and a single in the win. Lucas chipped in with two hits and one RBI and freshman outfielder Colin Lyman (Algonquin, Ill.) had two hits, a stolen base and a run scored.

Up next, Louisville will begin a four-game homestand in the final week of the regular season with a visit from No. 9 Indiana on Tuesday at 6 p.m., ET at Jim Patterson Stadium.

Louisville Lacrosse

The University of Louisville women’s lacrosse team’s magical season came to an end on Sunday. The Cardinals’ had their 12-game winning streak snapped in an 11-8 loss to No. 5 Northwestern in the NCAA Sweet 16 at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill.

Louisville (16-4), which reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, capped a historical season that included school records in wins (16) and consecutive victories (12). The Cardinals, who claimed the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titles, also notched their first NCAA Tournament win after beating Ohio State 11-10 in double overtime on Friday.

Cortnee Daley led the No. 16 Cardinals with four goals, three in the first half that gave Louisville a two-goal advantage, and Faye Brust connected on two of her free-position shots for a pair of scores that boosted her season total to 71, tied for second most in a single season in school history.

Daley also led Louisville with two caused turnovers and four ground balls.

Kaylin Morissette was held to a season-low three draw controls. Nikki Boltja, who had two assists, was held scoreless for the first time this season, the last coming on March 17, 2013. She has been held with a goal only four times in the last three years.

Powered by Kara Mupo’s four goals and Alyssa Leonard’s two scores and nine draw controls, Northwestern (13-6) will advance to its 10th-consecutive NCAA quarterfinal. The Wildcats face the winner of the Florida-Denver matchup on either May 17 or 18.

Northwestern’s Jess Carroll started the contest with a quick goal less than two minutes into the contest, her first of two in the game.

Moments later, it turned into Daley’s show. Her three scores, also Louisville’s first three goals, came in a nine-minute span.

On Louisville’s first score, which came at the 27:25 mark, Morissette took the ball into Northwestern territory on the near side and found Daley cutting toward the cage for the score. Twenty seconds later, Daley notched her second goal of the game on an assist from Jamie Redding. She finished with two assists in the loss.

Louisville’s third unanswered goal came on an assist from Boltja. Daley, who trailed the play, took a hard cut toward the cage and received a pass from Boltja, slotting it past Northwestern’s Bridget Bianco to put the Cardinals ahead 3-1.

Northwestern cut the deficit to one and then tied the game at the 10-minute mark before taking its first lead at 4-3 since the opening minutes behind Lauren Murray’s free-position goal with 4:18 left in the half.

Goals by Daley and Morissette in the first five minutes of the second half gave Louisville a 5-4 advantage, its final lead of the game.

The Wildcats logged four-consecutive goals, including three by Mupo, for an 8-5 lead.

Louisville came within two twice thanks to both of Brust’s goals, but two more late Northwestern goals kept the game out of reach.

The Cardinals’ Carissa Corbett tallied the final score with 1:35 remaining.

Northwestern’s Bianco finished the contest with six saves, five in the second half, while Louisville’s tandem of Ashley Peacock andAshley Herbst combined for eight stops.

The loss also marked the final game for nine Louisville seniors: Boltja, Hillary Bushway, Kelsey Garraty, Herbst, Leslee Hefner,Monica Negron, Colleen O’Malley, Amy Poteet, and Redding.

The group helped Louisville compile 37 victories, including three 10-win seasons.

Individually, Boltja finishes first on the career charts in free-position goals (52), second in points (235) and goals (193), third in assists (42) and game-winning goals (9), and ninth in game started. Redding concludes her career second in assists (44) and ninth in points (88). Negron capped a four-year career in which she ranks first in game started (67), second in ground balls (145) and caused turnovers (92), and third in draw controls (164).

Louisville Women’s Golf

The Louisville women’s golf team shot a 300 in the final round of the NCAA East Regional on Saturday afternoon at the Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla. The Cardinals finished 18th with a three round score of 896. No. 12 Vanderbilt won the regional with a score of 840. Fifth ranked South Carolina finished second with a score of 854 while second ranked Duke and No. 26 NC State finished tied for third with a score of 860.

As a team the Cardinals finished with 10 birdies and two eagles. Sophomore Laura Restrepo was the top finisher for the Cardinals. Restrepo shot a 74 in the final round, finishing the day with two birdies and an eagle. She finished tied for 55th with a score of 223. Vanderbilt’s Jenny Hahn took medalist honors with a score of 207. Baylor’s Hayley Davis and Vanderbilt’s Kendall Martindale finished tied for second with a score of 210.

Senior Tara Lyons shot a 78 in the final round, finishing the day with an eagle on the fourth hole. Lyons finished tied for 65th with a score of 224. Junior Emily Haas carded a 74 for her best round of the tournament. Haas finished the day with three birdies to finish tied at 77th with a score of 226.

Junior Katie Petrino shot an 81 on the final day. She finished the tournament tied at 99th with a score of 230. Freshman Shannon Gramley carded a 74 in the final round. She finished tied at 108th with a score of 233.

The top eight teams from each region will advanced to the NCAA Championships along with the top two individuals.

1. Vanderbilt 840 -24
2. South Carolina 854 -10
T3. NC State 860 -4
T3. Duke 860 -4
5. Stanford 866 +2
6. Virginia 869 +5
7. Tulane 871
8. Campbell 879 +15
9. Pepperdine 880 +16
10. Baylor 881 +17
T11. Florida State 882 +18
T11. East Tennessee St. 882 +18
13. Texas State 885 +21
14. East Carolina 886 +22
15. Auburn 887 +23
16. Georgia 888 +24
17. UCF 890 +26
18. Louisville 896 +32
19. Kentucky 898 +34
20. Troy 907 +43
21. Seton Hall 912 +48
22. College of Charleston 914 +50
23. Murray State 933 +69
24. Alabama State 937 +73