Sunday, March 28
USF 5, Memphis 1
The University of South Florida softball team wrapped up its opening series in conference play by completing the four-game sweep of the Memphis Tigers with a 5-1 win on Sunday morning.
AnaMarie Bruni (Schwenskville, Pa.) stole three bases in the victory, bringing her career total to 82. The mark sets a new American Athletic Conference record and places her No. 2 on USF's list as she passed Kristen Wyckoff who stole 81 bases between 2014 and 2017. Shelly Riker (2001-04) holds the program-best with 104 steals.
Georgina Corrick (Sanford, Fla.) earned the win in today's game, throwing a complete game and only allowing one unearned run. Bruni went 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI and two runs. Alexis Johns (Sarasota, Fla.) hit a triple and scored a run, while Megan Pierro (Lutz, Fla.) went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The Bulls started off quickly, with Johns leading off the bottom of the first with a triple. Bruni singled her home in the next at-bat to give USF the 1-0 lead. Two innings later, Bruni helped manufacture a run. After getting hit by a pitch, the outfielder stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sac-fly from Brooke Hartman (Port Orange, Fla.).
USF extended its lead again in the fourth. Pierro doubled down the right-field line and scored Brooke Leistl (Valrico, Fla.) and Alanah Rivera (St. Petersburg, Fla.) to give the Bulls a 4-0 lead. Memphis answered in the top of the sixth, with LaNya Bates scoring on a passed ball to make the score 4-1. USF responded in its half of the sixth, with Bruni scoring on a wild pitch to end the scoring at 5-1. Corrick kept dealing in the circle in the seventh to give USF the victory.
Notables
Bruni's three stolen bases on the day was the second time this series a USF runner stole three bases in a game. Pierro stole three in the series opener on Friday, the first time a Bull accomplished the feat since Astin Donovan against Elon in 2018.
USF drew 21 walks in the series.
The Bulls are on an 11-game win streak.
Corrick has not allowed an earned run in her last nine appearances, dating back to New Mexico State on March 10. Since her last earned run, she has thrown 47.1 innings and struck out 74 batters.
Quotable
Head coach Ken Eriksen on moving forward…
"Right now, we're kind of getting some rhythm. Pitchers and catchers are working together really well at this point. They're finding where they're at and the hitters are finding their place in the lineup. We've got a challenge ahead of us now against a team next week that has played a lot more games than we have. We'll see how our team does."
No. 22/24 UCF 4, Houston 3
The Knights kept their foot on the gas in the series finale against Houston Sunday afternoon at the UCF Softball Complex, coming from behind late to walk-off the Cougars, 4-3 and secure the series sweep.
The sweep marks the Knights' first-ever four-game conference series sweep in program history and it is their first sweep to open conference play since doing it against UConn in 2019.
The walk-off win was UCF's third walk-off in its past five games (No. 5 Florida, 8-6 and Houston, 2-1).
The Knights jumped out in front 1-0 early Sunday afternoon as shortstop Georgia Blair hit a solo shot in the third. The home run was Blair's 11th of the season, which leads both UCF and the conference.
UCF could not hold onto the lead as Knights' starting pitcher Gianna Mancha began to struggle with control in the middle part of the game, hitting a batter to walk in a run and allow Houston to tie the game at one. The Cougars would later hit back-to-back RBI doubles to extend their lead to 3-1.
Down 3-2 headed into the seventh, the Knights' first two runners of the inning reached base to start the inning, and both came around to score on a Houston error, giving UCF the 4-3 walk-off victory.
In the circle, Mancha finished the day with 4.2 innings pitched, allowing three earned while striking out three. She was relieved out of the bullpen by Breanna Vasquez. Vasquez was masterful in relief for the Knights, allowing just one base hit and no runs to secure the win and move to 1-1 on the season.
With the win, UCF moves to 23-6, 4-0 on the season.
"It is going to be exciting to see us continue to keep learning and growing," said head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. "I am enjoying that process as a coach and as a part of this program."
Key Moments
The Cougars threatened with runners on the corners and two outs in the third, but Gianna Mancha got the groundout to get out of the inning and keep the game tied at zero.
Georgia Blair hit a solo home run in the third to put the Knights up 1-0.
Houston answered back in the top of the fourth as UCF starting pitcher Gianna Mancha hit a batter with the bases loaded, tying the game at one.
Back-to-back RBI doubles from the Cougars in the fifth would give them the 3-1 lead.
With runners on the corners and just one away in the bottom of the fifth, UCF head coach Cindy Ball called on the double steal and the Knights executed it to perfection as Kennedy Searcy was safe at home, cutting UCF's lead to 3-2.
The Knights' first two runners reached base to start the bottom of the seventh and came around to score on a Houston error, giving UCF the 4-3 walk-off victory.
NOTABLES
The series sweep in the opening week of conference play marked UCF's first since 2019 when the Knights swept UConn to open league play.
The sweep marked the Knights' first-ever four-game conference series sweep.
Tulsa 8, Louisiana Tech 0 (5)
Kassidy Scott threw a five inning, shutout complete game, as the Hurricane scored 8 runs in 4 innings to defeat Louisiana Tech 8-0 at the Collins Family Sports Complex Sunday afternoon.
Scott in her first start of the season showed out, facing 21 batters only needing 42 pitches in the game. She allowed 8 hits, striking out a batter while keeping LA Tech scoreless.
Tulsa raked in 9 hits on the day as Chenise Delce and Kylie Norwood led the way from the plate with 2 hits each. Six different Hurricane batters accounted for the Hurricane 8 runs, as Alexis Perry led the way with 3.
Perry got things going for the Hurricane in the first inning, as she sent a three-run home run over the left field fence. Tulsa started the inning off with Kylie Norwood being hit by a pitch and Haley Morgan reaching on an error.
Tulsa extended their 3-0 run in the 2nd as Celyna Shaw reached first base with a walk, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kyndal Pirtle. After a Norwood single, Morgan drove home Shaw on a single to right field.
The Hurricane did not slow down as Aubree Seaney drove in Norwood on a sacrifice fly to left field two batters later.
Delce began the third inning with a single through the left side. Gracie Jarvis pinch ran for her, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Shaw. Pirtle drove Jarvis home on a double down the left field line. Norwood continued her strong outing singling home Pirtle on the next pitch.
Delce put the game away for TU, singling home Sarah Briers in the bottom of the fourth inning. The 8-run lead is all Scott needed, as she used three ground outs to end the game after 5 innings.
No. RV Wichita State 10, East Carolina 2 (5)
Wichita State bounced back from Saturday's loss with a 10-2 run-rule of ECU in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Wilkins Stadium.
Wichita State (20-5, 3-1) took three of the four games in the weekend series with the Pirates, needing only five innings in two of the four contests. Wichita State's 20-5 record through the first 25 games is the best in program history.
Bailey Lange (10-2) recorded her 10th win of the season after taking the loss in Saturday's nightcap. She pitched all 5.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits and four walks.
Addison Barnard registered her second multi-home run game of the season, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI. Camryn Compton launched her first career home run and finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Sydney McKinney tallied another multi-hit game and a solo home run.
Jessica Garcia replaced Ryleigh Buck in the middle of an at-bat after Buck took a foul ball under her eye, and proceeded to hit her third home run of the season.
The Shockers jumped on ECU's starting pitcher with back-to-back home runs from McKinney and Barnard to open the bottom of the first, which led to the Pirates changing pitchers two batters in.
ECU came back to tie it up in the top of the second after an error and RBI single. Barnard's second home run came in the very next at-bat, a three-run blast to put the Shockers back in front, 5-2.
A Compton RBI single, followed by Kaylee Huecker's sac fly and a Barnard run-scoring single, the Shockers put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the third.
Wichita State produced its final two runs in the bottom of the fourth on solo shots from Garcia and Compton.
ECU threatened to rally in the top of the fifth. The Pirates loaded the bases to open the inning via two walks and a bunt single, but Lange shut it down by retiring the next three batters in order.