The Cardinals opened their second weekend of the season by facing a familiar foe, the Northwestern Wildcats, who the Cards faced last weekend in the Titan Classic. Louisville fell 0-1 when the Wildcats were able to score on a SAC fly in the 7th inning and take home the victory. It was a battle between the Cards’ Danielle Watson and the Wildcats’ Danielle Williams in the circle. The first meeting between the two was a stalemate ending in a 1 run decision.

Game 1 – L 8-9 vs Northwestern
In the second meeting, 8 of the game’s 17 total runs were scored in the first inning. Five for UofL, three for NW. Louisville plated runs in multiple innings to follow, jumping to an 8-3 advantage before allowing Northwestern to tie it up 8-8 in the top of 7 and the go ahead run in the top of the 9th.
Senior Megan Hensley went 3-for-5 with a home run and a triple and drove in three runs to lead the Cardinals at the plate. Roby got the start in the circle for the Cards and allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits while striking out two. Hensley entered the game in relief and surrendered five earned runs on five hits while striking out three.

Game 2 – L 0-6 vs #15 Michigan
The Wolverines jumped out to 5-0 lead through the first two plate appearances. The Cardinals’ best chance to score came in the fourth when Hensley walked and moved to second on a wild pitch to put a runner in scoring position with one out, but a pair of strikeouts ended the threat. Funke accounted for Louisville’s only hit after she beat the throw for an infield single in the sixth. The defense would allow the final run for Michigan in the 5th.

Game 3 – W 2-1 vs #15 Michigan
The two played through four scoreless innings before the Wolverines broke through in the top of the fifth to lead the Cards 1-0. Louisville answered in the next half inning when Melton singled and Funke walked to put two on for Hensley whose RBI hit plated Melton. An error on the throw home scored Funke to put Louisville on top 2-1. Watson and the Louisville defense set the Wolverines down in order in the seventh to preserve the win.
The victory marks the first over a top-20 opponent since May 5, 2016, when the Cardinals defeated then No. 5 Florida State 4-0. The win over Michigan marks Louisville’s fourth against the Wolverines in 23 meetings. The last time the Cardinals beat Michigan was March 8, 2013 when they won 5-4 at Ulmer Stadium.

Game 4 – L 2-4 vs Northwestern 
The Cardinals (4-5) took an early 1-0 lead, but fell behind 4-1 as Northwestern scored two in the second and a run in the third and fifth innings. An RBI double by Chung in the sixth cut the lead to two runs, and the Cards had two on with the go-ahead run at the plate in the seventh, but could not capitalize on the opportunity.
The series between Louisville and Northwestern is now tied at 5-5.

UP NEXT
UofL will head to Knoxville for the Tennessee Classic featuring Tennessee, Kansas, Bradley, Tennesseee State & Virginia.

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Daryl Foust

Lifelong fan of the Louisville Cardinals, been covering the teams since 2012, graduated from c/o 2015, Writer/Contributor for TCZ for Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball & Softball since 2016.

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