CARDS & NOLES FACE OFF AT 7 p.m.
Louisville Softball faces #3 FSU tonight at 7 p.m. in Ulmer Stadium for the deciding third game in the 2019 series between the two squads. These type of showdown games are sometimes referred to as "rubber" matches.
So, the question is, how did the term "rubber match" get started?
Most sports historians and people who research stuff like that trace it back to the quaint, old sport of English lawn bowling.
This bowling is unlike the more popular form of regular bowling -- it takes place on a big lawn instead of an indoor bowling alley -- and the participants throw or "bowl" small wooden balls across the field to see who can get closest to a smaller white ball at the opposite end of the field. Maybe like bocci ball or curling, in a sense.
A "rubber" is bad -- that means the ball you've just thrown has "rubbed up" against another previously thrown ball and usually results in knocking the opponents ball closer to the small white ball and stopping the progress of your ball.
This sport's matches are usually played in games of three. What any of this has to do with a deciding third game in a series is still pretty nebulous to me -- maybe the term "there were a few rubbers in that third match that cost me" -- helps some, but...I still wonder why we drive on parkways and park on driveways.
Nevertheless, rubber or not, the Cards and Noles hope do to battle despite a Monday weather forecast that looks less than promising. A 60% percent chance in the morning hours, transitioning into cloudy skies tonight. As I look out my front bay window this morning (there's another term that gets me -- I have no bay in front of my house, just taxus bushes) it's overcast but not raining. Maybe I overthink these things...
The Noles sit atop the Atlantic division of the ACC with a 37-4 record and 9-2 in ACC play. The Cards in 4th in the Atlantic at 24-13 and 5-6.
It'll be interesting to see who gets "the call" to enter the pitching circle for UofL tonight. Danielle Watson tossed a two-hitter at FSU Friday in the 2-0 first game win. She's 8-10 on the season and has an ERA of 2.86. Taylor Roby finished the 4-1 loss in the second game and is 7-1 on the year with a sizzling 1.74 ERA. Senior Megan Hensley tops the Cards with a 9-3 record, her ERA is 2.56. Watson leads Louisville with 100 innings pitched and she also has the most strikeouts of opponents with 106.
ESPN U has the broadcast for this one. Melissa Lee with the play-by-play and former Cardinal associate softball coach Carol Bruggeman with analytic observations and prognostications.
Let's hope the skies stay dry. Let's hope Cards can get the pitching like they had in the first two and that the bats wake up and do great things for Louisville tonight.
Play ball!
BAYLOR BEARS WIN ANOTHER NCAA THRILLER OVER NOTRE DAME 82-81 FOR TITLE
If you're a fan of basketball, this one was fun to watch. The Bears taking control early, getting the lead up to 17 in the second half and then disaster struck when All-American Lauren Cox went down with what looked to be a very bad knee injury with 1:22 left in the third quarter.
Notre Dame had started to cut into the lead, and without team leader Cox on the court..things went rotten pretty quickly. The Irish, led by Arike Ogumbowale and Marina Mabrey were giving it one last push...and it was paying off. Coming back to take the lead with less than three to go. Baskets traded. Baylor hanging on for dear life but getting big plays from a graduate transfer (Jackson), a freshman (Smith) and a force (Brown).
Then, the scenario that Ogumbowale seems to thrive in on occasion. Keeping your team from losing. The Irish down by two, about three seconds on the clock and you are at the free throw line with a couple.
Piece of cake, right, for the senior who already had 30 points.
Nah.
She clanged the first free throw. She needed a miss on the second one to give ND a chance to rebound and get up a game tying or winning shot.
She makes it.
Baylor ball and they have fouls to give before free throws.
I have no doubt that she was trying to miss...but this "fate" stuff can be tricky. The miracle kid just struck out. Arike will go on and make good money in the WNBA, in Europe but that memory is bound to haunt her for a very long time.
The ball bounces funny ways, sometimes.
I'm not much for post-game celebrations and such, but I watched a bit of this one and was honestly worried Kim Mulkey was going to drop her grandson. Mulkey, obviously overcome with Cox's injury...a blubbering, hot mess in the post-game. Like her or despise her, Mulkey was able to get the "bigs", has more on the way for next year, and finally got her third NCAA Championship win.
No Griner. No Odyssey Sims. But...two post-players who learned how to work with each other, a couple of guards who could shoot and pass the ball to the post and managing to win despite the antics of their flamboyant coach on the sidelines.
Cox will be back. Minus Brown but surrounded by good talent. An inspiration to all, playing with a diabetic pump attached to her that provides insulin when it senses she needs a boost. A player that the Cards really went after a couple of years ago. We got Ciera Johnson instead.
Baylor survives the comeback. Seeded #1 overall in the brackets, and living up to that pre-tournament ranking. They should send a thank-you, or condolences card -- something -- to Arike.
2019. The year of the Bear.
paulie
xxxxx
from Cardinal Couple http://bit.ly/2OYWhSi
Breaking News: Softball rubber match tonight -- Baylor the WBB NCAA Champs -- MONDAY CARDINALCOUPLE - News Paper
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| Probably would be pretty good at lawn bowling, too |
So, the question is, how did the term "rubber match" get started?
Most sports historians and people who research stuff like that trace it back to the quaint, old sport of English lawn bowling.
This bowling is unlike the more popular form of regular bowling -- it takes place on a big lawn instead of an indoor bowling alley -- and the participants throw or "bowl" small wooden balls across the field to see who can get closest to a smaller white ball at the opposite end of the field. Maybe like bocci ball or curling, in a sense.
A "rubber" is bad -- that means the ball you've just thrown has "rubbed up" against another previously thrown ball and usually results in knocking the opponents ball closer to the small white ball and stopping the progress of your ball.
This sport's matches are usually played in games of three. What any of this has to do with a deciding third game in a series is still pretty nebulous to me -- maybe the term "there were a few rubbers in that third match that cost me" -- helps some, but...I still wonder why we drive on parkways and park on driveways.Nevertheless, rubber or not, the Cards and Noles hope do to battle despite a Monday weather forecast that looks less than promising. A 60% percent chance in the morning hours, transitioning into cloudy skies tonight. As I look out my front bay window this morning (there's another term that gets me -- I have no bay in front of my house, just taxus bushes) it's overcast but not raining. Maybe I overthink these things...
The Noles sit atop the Atlantic division of the ACC with a 37-4 record and 9-2 in ACC play. The Cards in 4th in the Atlantic at 24-13 and 5-6.
Let's hope the skies stay dry. Let's hope Cards can get the pitching like they had in the first two and that the bats wake up and do great things for Louisville tonight.
Play ball!
BAYLOR BEARS WIN ANOTHER NCAA THRILLER OVER NOTRE DAME 82-81 FOR TITLE
If you're a fan of basketball, this one was fun to watch. The Bears taking control early, getting the lead up to 17 in the second half and then disaster struck when All-American Lauren Cox went down with what looked to be a very bad knee injury with 1:22 left in the third quarter.
Notre Dame had started to cut into the lead, and without team leader Cox on the court..things went rotten pretty quickly. The Irish, led by Arike Ogumbowale and Marina Mabrey were giving it one last push...and it was paying off. Coming back to take the lead with less than three to go. Baskets traded. Baylor hanging on for dear life but getting big plays from a graduate transfer (Jackson), a freshman (Smith) and a force (Brown). Then, the scenario that Ogumbowale seems to thrive in on occasion. Keeping your team from losing. The Irish down by two, about three seconds on the clock and you are at the free throw line with a couple.
Piece of cake, right, for the senior who already had 30 points.
Nah.
She makes it.
Baylor ball and they have fouls to give before free throws.
I have no doubt that she was trying to miss...but this "fate" stuff can be tricky. The miracle kid just struck out. Arike will go on and make good money in the WNBA, in Europe but that memory is bound to haunt her for a very long time.
The ball bounces funny ways, sometimes.
I'm not much for post-game celebrations and such, but I watched a bit of this one and was honestly worried Kim Mulkey was going to drop her grandson. Mulkey, obviously overcome with Cox's injury...a blubbering, hot mess in the post-game. Like her or despise her, Mulkey was able to get the "bigs", has more on the way for next year, and finally got her third NCAA Championship win. No Griner. No Odyssey Sims. But...two post-players who learned how to work with each other, a couple of guards who could shoot and pass the ball to the post and managing to win despite the antics of their flamboyant coach on the sidelines.
Baylor survives the comeback. Seeded #1 overall in the brackets, and living up to that pre-tournament ranking. They should send a thank-you, or condolences card -- something -- to Arike.
2019. The year of the Bear.
paulie
xxxxx
from Cardinal Couple http://bit.ly/2OYWhSi
Breaking News: Softball rubber match tonight -- Baylor the WBB NCAA Champs -- MONDAY CARDINALCOUPLE - News Paper
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