LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville held the North Carolina Central University softball team to just four combined hits in a 9-0 (5) and 5-0 doubleheader sweep at Ulmer Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals, who are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25 Poll and were ranked 25th nationally earlier in the season, connected for 22 combined hits in scoring their 14 runs. Louisville (29-9) is a balanced team, ranking in the top 20 of NCAA Division I in both team ERA and runs scored per game.
 
Three of the Lady Eagles four hits were doubles off the bats of seniors in Markell Wylie, London Booker and Casey Hargett.
 
NCCU (4-37) will conclude its series at Louisville with a single game on Sunday at Noon.
 
GAME ONE: Louisville 9, N.C. Central 0 (5 Innings)
 
The Cards ripped 13 hits and got an 11-strikeout performance from junior Maryssa Becker in coasting to the nine-run triumph in five innings.
 
Becker – an All-ACC performer in each of her first two seasons at Louisville – improved to 16-6 on the year with her shutout that included just three hits surrendered without a walk. Becker's first eight outs recorded were by strikeout and she helped her own cause at the plate with two hits, two RBI and two runs.
 
Freshman Megan Hensley capped the hosts scoring with a two-run homer, her 12th long ball of her rookie campaign. Nine different Cards tallied a hit.
 
Senior Jenny Tracy had the Lady Eagles first hit, dumping a blooper to right field in the first inning. Wylie added a double in the third and Booker just missed her third home run, settling for a double after she launched a deep shot to right field that hit high off the fence.
 
GAME TWO: Louisville 5, N.C. Central 0
 
Booker, who was coming off a complete-game victory at Norfolk State on Wednesday, continued to throw the ball well keeping the Cardinals off the board for the first four innings.
 
Louisville was able to break up the pitcher's duel with five runs in the fifth. A single called just fair down the right field line started the Cards scoring and Louisville then kept the momentum scoring four more runs on three consecutive hits after the close call.
 
The five runs were plenty of support that Hensley needed in support of her dominating pitching performance. Hensley (13-3) fanned 10 in her seven innings of work but more impressively held the Lady Eagles to just one hit.
 
Hargett poked NCCU's lone base knock with a clean double to the left corner of the field with two outs in the top of the fourth just after Booker reached on an error. However, both runners were stranded in scoring position after Hensley was able to induce an inning-ending groundout.
 
Booker logged three strikeouts in her five innings of work and freshman Breanna Carter tossed one inning of scoreless relief in the sixth, retiring the side in order. Carter has not allowed an earned run in seven of her eight relief appearances this season.