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ATHLETICS DEPT

May 9, 2008

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The fifth-seeded University of Louisville softball team defeated fourth-seeded Notre Dame 3-1 Thursday in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Conference Softball tournament. The Cardinals will play top-seed South Florida in the semifinals Friday at 5:00 p.m. The game will be televised live on CBS College Sports.

"We were happy to open the tournament with a win against a very good Notre Dame team," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "Kristen Wadwell pitched very well for us tonight."

After a day filled with rain delays and extra innings, the game, originally scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start, finally began at 10:30 p.m. - and ended just before midnight. The Cards scored two runs in the third when Kristi Cunningham delivered a leadoff double and crossed the plate on Melissa Roth's single. Roth stole third and scored on Chelsea Bemis' groundout.

Notre Dame got a run back in the bottom of the third. Erin Marrone doubled and scored on Sam Fleury's RBI single to make it a 2-1 game.

U of L added another run in the top of the sixth when Colby Wherry drew a leadoff walk and was lifted for pinch runner Missy Vascil who took second on Kassie Stanfill's single. Both runners advanced on Brittany York's flyout to centerfield. Vascil came home on Christina Roesel's groundout to give Louisville an insurance run.

Wadwell (18-12) picked up the win, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out four in seven innings. Cunningham led the Cards offensively, going 2 for 3 with a double and a run. The Cardinals improve to 30-20 on the year.

The win avenged Notre Dame's doubleheader sweep of Louisville at Ulmer Stadium on April 19.

Brittney Bargar (29-13) took the loss, giving up three earned runs on six hits in seven innings. Notre Dame falls to 37-20 on the season.

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