Cantley Sets Strikeout Record in Softball’s Gutsy Win at Minerva
Louisville 6, Minerva 5, 9 Innings
The Louisville Lady Leopards Varsity Softball team gutted out a 6-5 extra inning victory over the Minerva 
Lions Thursday. With the victory, Louisville improves to 15-6 overall and remains alone in first place at 10-1 in the NBC.
After three straight innings dead-locked at 4-4, the Leopards broke the tie with a 2-spot in the top of the ninth inning. Kaycee Ollis cracked her 4th single of the game to start the inning. Then Teagan Rice sacrificed her into scoring position in the next at-bat. Louisville took back the lead when Grace Jackson ended her 7-pitch at-bat with an RBI double to centerfield scoring Ollis from second.
The Leopards would then tack on what proved to be a much needed insurance run when Aliyah English reached base on error scoring Jackson. English also crushed a Grand Slam earlier in the fifth to put Louisville ahead 4-1. The home run was her second in as many games.
The Lions would make things interesting in the last of the ninth as Mady Phillips went yard on the first 
pitch of the frame to cut the Leopard lead to 6-5. The blast was Minerva’s second of the contest as Macy Foutz also hit a solo home run for the Lions to break a scoreless tie in the second inning.
Minerva would get no closer as Louisville’s Sarah Cantley struck out 3 of the next 4 Minerva batters to end the game. Cantley pitched her 7th complete game of the season and struck out a team record 15 during the extra inning affair. The previous mark was held by Brittany Flanigan who struck out 14 in 7 innings during a 9-1 Leopard win at Canton McKinley on April 27, 2011. Teammate Morgan Harris also struck out 13 at Alliance last season in 5-inning contest.
The Leopards out-hit the Lions 12-10 for the game. Ollis finished 4-for-5 at the dish and Jackson went 3-for-5 at the plate with a pair of doubles to lead Louisville. Both players scored a pair of runs.
Minerva was led by Hannah Reusser who batted 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs and Aubrey Stanford who went 2-for-4 with an RBI & run scored. Reusser also pitched a complete game for the Lions and struck out 7.
This was the 50th meeting between Louisville and Minerva. The Lady Leopards have taken the last 16 meetings against the Lions and lead the all-time series 40-10. Louisville has also won their last 8 games at Minerva, a place where they are 20-5 all-time.
UP NEXT: The Lady Leopards will next travel to Alliance to take on the Aviators on Friday, May 6 at 5:00 PM.
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