Feb. 13, 2005

LAS VEGAS - - The University of Louisville softball team lost to fifth-ranked LSU 7-1 and defeated No. 16/17 Oregon State 5-2 Saturday at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic hosted by UNLV.

The Tigers jumped on the scoreboard early when Lauren Castle led off the game with a base hit and scored on a double by Camille Harris. Vanessa Soto's double brought Castle home to make it a 2-0 game. Lauren Delahoussaye doubled to score Soto, giving LSU a 3-0 lead in the first.

U of L put up a run in the second when Courtney Moore drew a walk and scored on a triple by Michelle Vasquez to make it a 3-1 game.

Soto blasted a solo shot to give LSU a 4-1 lead in the fifth. Stephanie Hill followed with single and was replaced by pinch runner Lauren Uhle who moved to second on Delahoussaye's sacrifice bunt. Killian Roessner delivered a single to send Uhle home, making it a 5-1 game. Kristen Hobbs' infield hit scored Roessner to increase the Tigers' lead to 6-1.

LSU added another run in the top of the sixth when Harris led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Hill reached on a two-base error.

Louisville starter Aja Sherman (1-3) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and striking out four in five innings. Catherine Bishop pitched two innings in relief and allowed one unearned run on one hit while striking out two. Offensively, the Cards had six hits in the game. Estes finished batting 2-for-3.

LSU's Megan Jolly (1-1) picked up the win, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out two in five innings. The Tigers had 11 hits in the game. Soto was 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, three runs and two RBI. The Tigers improve to 1-1 on the season.

In the Oregon State game, the Cards got on the scoreboard in the top of the third when Audrey Rendon singled and moved to second when Candi Hicks reached on an error. Rendon and Hicks both scored when Sara Bausher reached on a two base error.

Louisville added two more runs in the fifth when Bausher singled and scored on a triple by Michelle Vasquez. A double by Estes sent Vasquez home and made it a 4-0 game.

In the sixth inning, Louisville's Candi Hicks singled, stole second and scored on Courtney Moore's double to extend the Cards' lead to 5-0.

Oregon State scored in the bottom of the seventh when Alana Mendoza singled to set up Brianne McGowan's two-run pinch-hit home run to make it a 5-2 game.

U of L starter Catherine Bishop (3-0) picked up the complete game win, allowing two earned runs on four hits and striking out three. Offensively, the Cards had 10 hits in the game. Rendon, Moore, Vasquez and Estes each had two hits in the contest.

OSU starter Amy Klever (1-1) took the loss, allowing three runs, only one earned, on five hits and striking out two in four innings.

"I was very unhappy with our performance against LSU," said U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall. "When you have the opportunity to face a top ten team, you need to come ready to play. We performed poorly in every aspect of the game. We played much better in the Oregon State game. We came out and hit the ball and were more solid defensively. One of the bright spots was Catherine Bishop's pitching, she did a nice job against a very good team."

Louisville (4-3) will play No. 25 Illinois at 11:45 a.m. (EST) and will close out the tournament against Texas Tech at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.