CLEARWATER, Fla. (March 9, 2006) ? The University of South Florida softball team opened day one of the adidas Tournament splitting games against Boston University and Georgia Tech at the EC Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.
In game one, USF (12-12) got its offense going early and often in route to an 11-0 five-inning mercy-rule win over Boston University.
Bree Spence (5-3) picked up her fifth win of the season, pitching four shutout innings. The sophomore scattered five hits, struck out three and didn't allow a walk in her start.
The Bulls jumped out to the early lead, taking a 4-0 advantage in the top of the first inning. With runners at second and third, a sacrifice fly to centerfield by Christie Chapman scored Britta Giddens from third base. Tiffany Stewart came up to bat next for USF and added two more runs to its lead by hitting a home run to left field. With only one out in the inning, Krista Holle reached first base on an error. Danielle Urbanik hit a single to left field, in which the left fielder bobbled the ball, allowing Holle to score from first.
USF continued its offensive power into the second inning, putting three runs on the board to take a 7-0 lead. With one out on the board, an RBI single by Stewart and a two-RBI single by Urbanik gave USF its seven-run lead.
In the fourth inning freshman Ashley Bullion hit her second-career home run, a two-run blast to straight-away center, to give USF a 9-0 lead.
Stewart went back to work in the top of the fifth driving in two runs off a single to centerfield to give the Bulls the 11-0 win. In the game the senior went 3-for-4, scored two runs and tallied five RBI.
In game two, Georgia Tech (18-4) opened the scoring in the game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Savannah Brown three-run homer.
In the top of the third the Bulls tied the game, 3-3. Back-to-back singles by Carly Griffin and Britta Giddens put runners on, and an RBI-single by Christie Chapman drove home USF's first run of the game with one out of the board. With runners on second and third, Tiffany Stewart came up to bat and hit a double to centerfield, tying the game 3-3.
The Bulls gained the lead thanks to Carly Griffin, who came up to bat with two outs and knocked in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle, 4-3.
Georgia Tech quickly tied up the game and regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring runs off fielder's choices and two USF errors.
In the top of the fifth the Bulls loaded up the bases thanks to a single, a walk and a hit by pitch with only one out on the board. The Bulls squandered their scoring opportunity as Georgia Tech starting pitcher Sarah Wood struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
USF cut Tech's lead down to two runs, 7-5, in the top of the sixth inning. With runners at second and third and one out, Samantha Ray grounded out to the shortstop, driving in the run from third base.
Running out of time in the game, the Bulls tried to make a comeback in the top of the seventh, loading up the bases with one out. Freshman Liz Howell grounded out to the third baseman, scoring a run. With only one out left to tie the game, Carly Griffin grounded out to the third baseman to end the game.
On Friday, the Bulls will face Michigan State at 4 p.m. and Wright State at 6 p.m.
