Friday, May 7
No. RV USF 2, No. RV UCF 0
The University of South Florida softball team earned a 2-0 shutout victory over UCF to take game one of the War On I-4 on Friday night. A pair of runs in the third inning was all the Bulls needed to take the weekend opener.
Georgina Corrick (Sanford, Fla.), in earning her 21st win of the season, tossed her 32nd career shutout, breaking the American Athletic Conference record set by Tulsa's Emily Watson in 2018. Her 13 shutouts this season are a career-high and are tied for third on USF's single-season list with Jennifer Thompson (1996).
USF, while threatening with two runners in scoring position in the first inning, didn't break through until the third. Alexis Johns (Sarasota, Fla.) and AnaMarie Bruni (Schwenksville, Pa.) reached to begin the inning and were advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Kyndall Williams (Trenton, Fla.). A sacrifice fly from Bethaney Keen (Bradenton, Fla.) scored Johns, and Bruni scored on the next at bat as Josie Foreman (West Palm Beach, Fla.) singled to third.
Corrick sat the Knights down in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings to keep UCF off the board. UCF challenged in the sixth, loading the bases with only one out. However, Corrick struck out the next batter and forced a ground out to defuse the threat. The junior followed it up in the seventh with another shutdown inning, improving her record to 21-5 this season.
Quotable
Head coach Ken Eriksen on today's win…
"Our defense did its job tonight, keeping the other team off the board. We had some really good leadoff at bats from Lexie Johns and some good moving stuff from Bruni and Williams tonight. You have to give a lot of credit to the top of the lineup for creating runs. Let's hope we come back out tomorrow and do the same thing."
Notables
Corrick's 32 shutouts rank third on USF's all-time list, only five behind Monica Triner's 37 from 1996-1999. She also only needs two more shutouts to tie USF's single-season record of 15, set by Leigh Ann Ellis in 2004.
Williams stole her first base of the season in the first inning.
USF needs to win two of the remaining three games to earn its third consecutive American Athletic Conference regular season title.
AnaMarie Bruni needs only one stolen base to set a new program single-season record. She's currently tied with Shelly Riker, who swiped 33 bases in 2002.
Houston 9, Tulsa 5/Tulsa 5, Houston 3
The Golden Hurricane use two home runs in the top of the 9th inning to take game 2 of the doubleheader 5-3, after dropping game 1 to the Houston Cougars, 9-5, at the Cougar Softball Stadium Friday evening.
Alexis Perry and Aubree Seaney led off the top of the 9th inning, hitting back-to-back home runs, giving the Hurricane a two-run lead. Samantha Pochop slammed the door on the Cougars striking out 2 of the last 3 batters, picking up her 10th win in the process.
Celyna Shaw hits a solo blast in the top of the 8th inning of game 2, giving the Hurricane a 3-2 advantage; however, a solo home run by the Cougars in the bottom half of the inning sent the game into the 9th.
Tulsa started strong in game 1, taking a quick 1-0 lead over the Cougars; however, Houston scored 9 runs in the next 4 innings, taking down the Hurricane, 9-5.
In back-to-back games the duo of Kylie Norwood and Celyna Shaw hit consecutive home runs in an inning each recording a home run during the 5th inning of game 1. The two both connected on home runs in the series finale against Wichita State on Sunday, May 2.
Tulsa improves to 23-14 on the season and 14-7 in American Athletic Conference play, while the Cougars fall to 16-31 on the year and 7-15 in conference action.
Tulsa and Houston will be back in action on Saturday, May 8 in game three of the season finale at 2:00 p.m. at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
GAME 1
The Houston bats were too much for TU, as the Cougars used two errors and timely hitting in the 5th and 6th innings to take a 9-5 victory in Game 1.
Tulsa had a chance in the top of the 7th inning, as Celyna Shaw walked, Kylie Norwood singled and Chenise Delce walked to give the Hurricane bases loaded with one out. However, a strikeout and pop-up to the pitcher ended the game.
The Hurricane started the scoring off in game one, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Alexis Perry began the inning by singling to center field, crossing the plate two batters later on a Sarah Briers single.
The Cougars responded in the bottom of the 3rd innings, starting things off with a solo home run. A walk, single and double later, Houston captured a 3-1 advantage.
Chenise Delce (7-6) drew the start for the Hurricane in the circle, throwing 3 innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits while striking out 4 Cougars batters.
In the top of the 4th inning, Tulsa fought back to tie the game at 3. Perry started the inning off with a single through the left side, advancing to second on a ground out. Imani Edwards singled to center, driving home Perry. For the second time in the game, Briers singled home a run, scoring Edwards from second.
After a two-run home run by the Cougars in the bottom of the 4th, Tulsa answered with two long balls of their own. Celyna Shaw led off the inning with a solo home run to left field, which was followed by a Kylie Norwood homer. It was the second consecutive game that the duo has hit back-to-back homers, doing so in Tulsa's 10-6 victory over Wichita State on May 2.
Kylee Nash (2-2) came in for Delce in relief during the 4th inning. The freshman ended the day going 2.1 innings, giving up 4 runs, 2 earned, on 4 hits for TU. Sara Llamas-Howell closed the 6th inning out for Tulsa, retiring both batters she faced.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Tulsa 0 1 0 2 2 0 0
Houston 0 0 3 2 1 2 X
WP: Lee, M. (4-9) LP: Nash, K. (2-2)
S: Hertenberger, R (1)
GAME 2
Tied at 3-3 in the top of the 9th, Alexis Perry came up to bat and continued her strong season from the plate. The senior sent a rocket over the left field fence, giving TU a 4-3 lead. Not to be outdone first baseman Aubree Seaney sent a solo home run out of Cougar Softball Stadium, establishing a 5-3 lead for the Hurricane.
Samantha Pochop (10-2), struck out the last two batters of the game, propelling the Hurricane to its 23rd victory of the season. Pochop finished the game going 3.1 innings, allowing 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 5.
Celyna Shaw hit her third home run in three games, sending a blast to right field in the top of the 8th inning to give the Hurricane a 3-2 advantage. However, it was not enough as Houston tied it in the bottom of the 8th on a solo shot of their own.
Kassidy Scott drew the start in game two and threw a gem for the Hurricane. The senior went 5.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 3 Cougars batters.
The Cougars struck first against the Hurricane, singling to center field with an out in the inning. After advancing to second base on a wild pitch, the Houston runner scored on a single to center field.
Down 1-0 the Hurricane fought back in the next half inning, as Imani Edwards led off with a walk. She advanced to second on a fielder's choice, later scoring on a two-out double by Norwood.
In the top of the 3rd inning, Tulsa took its first lead of the game as Perry doubled with 1 out in the inning. Two batters later, Edwards singled through the right side, scoring Perry from third.
Houston clawed back, leading off the bottom of the 6th inning with a solo home run to right-center field. Back-to-back singles forced the Hurricane to make a pitching change, as Samantha Pochop came in to relieve Scott.
In the top of the 7th, the Hurricane put two in scoring position. Perry was hit by a pitch, moving to 3rd on a two-out single from Edwards. However, a ground out to the third baseman ended the inning.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Tulsa. 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2
Houston 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
WP: Pochop, S. (10-2) LP: Hertenberger, R. (6-10)
East Carolina 8, Memphis 1
East Carolina claimed the opener of its final American Athletic Conference series of the regular season Friday afternoon, defeating Memphis 8-1 at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.
The Pirates, who have won consecutive league contests for the first time this campaign, improve to 13-32 overall and 4-17 in AAC play while the Tigers drop to 9-37 and 2-19.
Kama Woodall (8-18) turned in another solid performance in the circle, tossing her 14th complete game of the season while limiting Memphis to one earned run on six hits. She did not walk a batter and finished with three strikeouts. Mariah Nichols (3-11) took the loss, surrendering four runs (all earned) on four hits with six walks and a strikeout.
Chandley Garner and Bailey Ledvina both notched home runs and drove in three runs apiece while Rachel McCollum posted a two-hit, two-RBI effort. Gracie Morton went 2-for-2 with a run scored for the visitors.
After Woodall made quick work of the Tiger order in the top of the first, ECU cranked up its offense in the home half. Olivia Narron drew a one-out walk before McCollum laced a double down the left field line to score Narron and put the Pirates ahead 1-0. Ledvina later followed with an RBI single that plated McCollum and left East Carolina with a 2-0 advantage through one complete.
The pitchers traded zeros the next three innings before Memphis scratched across its lone run off an RBI bunt single in the top of the fifth. The Tigers threatened for more in the frame, but the Pirates doused the rally with a double play to preserve the one-run cushion.
Ledvina afforded ECU some breathing room in the bottom of the fifth, launching a two-run home run over the wall in left center to extend the Pirate lead to 4-1. East Carolina put the game away in the bottom of the sixth as Garner hit her 10th home run of the season – a three-run shot as part of a four-run stanza that provided the final margin of victory.