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ATHLETICS DEPT

May 9, 2008

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - - USF junior Britta Giddens' two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning gave top-seeded South Florida a 2-1 win over No. 5 seed Louisville Friday in the BIG EAST Conference semifinals. This marks the first time the Cardinals have not reached the championship game since joining the league in 2006.

Louisville's best-shot at scoring early came in the bottom of the third inning. Catcher Melissa Roth was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game and took second on Sarah Totten's sacrifice bunt. Chelsea Bemis reached on an infield single place runners on the corners with one out. Roth was thrown out at the plate on Colby Wherry's grounder to the pitcher.

The teams continued to battle through four scoreless innings before the Cardinals broke through with a run in the fifth. Wherry reached on a fielder's choice and came home on Kassie Stanfill's triple to the right field corner to make it a 1-0 game.

USF answered in the top of the sixth when Tara Toscano beat the throw from Louisville third baseman Chelsea Bemis for an infield single. Kit Dunbar's sacrifice bunt moved Toscano to second to set up Giddens' two-out shot over the right field fence to give the Bulls the 2-1 lead.

BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Capri Catalano retired all three Louisville batters in the sixth, but the Cards had one final chance to tie the game in the seventh when Bemis delivered a two-out single to put the tying run on. Catalano got Wherry to groundout to send the Bulls to their first BIG EAST Conference Championship final.

Catalano (17-1) got the win, striking out four and allowing four hits in four innings of relief. Starter Courtney Mosch held the Cards scoreless, and gave up five hits in three innings. Giddens led the Bulls at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.

Louisville sophomore Kristen Wadwell (18-13) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits and struck out 10 in seven innings. Freshman Chelsea Bemis and junior Kassie Stanfill were perfect from the plate for the Cardinals, going 4-for-4 and 3-for-3, respectively. Louisville falls to 30-21 on the season.

The Bulls (44-17) will meet the No. 2 seed DePaul (47-16) in the conference championship at 5 p.m. on May 10. CBS-College Sports will carry the contest live from Ulmer Stadium. The squads split their doubleheader on April 18, with the Bulls winning game one 6-3 and the No. 20/23 Blue Demons taking game two 5-1.