RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team (15-12, 0-3 ASUN) drops its second in-state midweek game to Louisville (19-9, 4-2 ACC) by a score of 10-1 on Tuesday night at Gertrude Hood Field.
 
The Colonels got four hits from Lou Bowers, Maggie Pertee, and Vianna Barron from the 1-2-3 holes.
 
Bowers led EKU with two hits on the day, including a solo homer to left field, her seventh of the season. Bowers extends her hit total to 25 on the season in the loss.
 
Sophomore Lauren Narvaez got the starting nod in Tuesday's game, going six innings with two strikeouts and nine earned runs.
 
EKU and Louisville went scoreless in the first inning, Narvaez, who was selected for her 14th start of the season, held reigning D1 Softball National Player of the Week Sarah Gordon to a ground out to third and struck out Taylor Roby in the first inning.
 
Pertee kicked off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle, Jeanay Riley followed with a walk two batters later, both were left stranded on base to end the inning.
 
Both teams put up zeros the following inning to keep the game tied.
 
Louisville opened its scoring in the top of the third off a single that brought home a runner on second. The Cards would send a 3-run homer over the left field fence the next batter to pad its lead, 4-0. EKU would get two hits in the bottom of the inning, failing to get the baserunners home.
 
The Cardinals added two runs in the following two innings to add to their run total and widen the score to 6-0.
 
EKU found its first run in the bottom of the fifth as senior Lou Bowers sent her seventh homer of the season over the left field wall. As of Tuesday night, Bowers ranks second in the ASUN Conference in total home runs.
 
The visiting team tacked on another run in the seventh inning, freshman Brook Davis entered the game in the circle and found three outs. EKU wasn't able to overcome the six-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh to end the game 7-1 in Louisville's favor.
 
Louisville out-hit EKU 13-4 and struck out six Colonel batters. EKU led the contest with eight base on balls. 
 
EKU left 13 runners on base in Tuesday's game.
 
The Colonels are back in action over the weekend taking on ASUN foe Kennesaw State in its second conference series of the 2023 season. EKU and KSU will play in a traditional Friday, Saturday, Sunday slate.