The University of Louisville softball team had a mixed first day at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Friday, defeating South Alabama 4-2 in extra innings and falling 8-0 to No. 20/17 Kentucky. The Cardinals (1-1) will return to action on Saturday with games against Southern and Missouri.
In their season opener against South Alabama, freshman Sarah Gordon impressed with a 2-for-4 performance, including a two-run double in the eighth inning to secure the victory. Alyssa Zabala earned the win in her collegiate debut, striking out three and allowing one unearned run in relief.
Despite a solid effort from the Cardinals, they were unable to overcome No. 20/17 Kentucky in their second game of the day. The Wildcats capitalized on five hits and three errors by Louisville to score eight runs in five innings. Taylor Roby and Paige Geraghty each had a single for the Cardinals, but the team struggled to get anything going against the strong Kentucky pitching.
Freshman Sarah Gordon had a strong first game, collecting her first career hit, RBI, and stolen base against South Alabama. Graduate senior Taylor Roby finished the day batting .400 (2-for-4) with a walk and an RBI. With the win over South Alabama, Louisville is now 15-9 in season-opening games.
The Cardinals will look to bounce back on Saturday as they take on Southern at 4 p.m. followed by Missouri at 6:30 p.m.
