TAMPA, Fla. (April 21, 2006) ? The University of South Florida softball team continued its perfect record in the BIG EAST, shutting out Pittsburgh, 5-0, 8-0, Friday afternoon at the USF Softball Field.
With the twin-bill victories, the Bulls improved their BIG EAST record to 10-0 and their overall record to 40-19, marking the fourth-straight season that USF has reached the 40-win plateau. Pitt's record drops to 27-22, 8-8 BIG EAST.
In game one, Bree Spence (18-6) led the way for USF, posting her sixth shutout of the season in the 5-0 victory. In seven innings of work, the sophomore scattered five hits, struck out two, while only allowing one walk.
After both teams couldn't put together a scoring effort after getting runners on base in the first three innings, the Bulls finally capitalized and took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. After Krista Holle led off the inning with a single and then stole second, an RBI-single to left field by Ashley Bullion put USF up by one run.
The Bulls kept their offense going into the fifth inning, adding four more runs to the board to take a 5-0 lead. Samantha Ray led off the inning with a double down the right line and stole third. Tiffany Stewart came up to bat and lined the ball past a diving centerfielder to record her first triple of the season while knocking in the run. Holle continued her solid effort at the plate, driving in Stewart off a double to right field. The Bulls scored their final two runs of the inning off a Pitt fielding error and a wild pitch.
In game two, freshman Cristi Ecks (17-10) continued what Spence started in the first game and posted her sixth shutout win. In her complete five-inning game, the Manassas, Va., native dished out only three hits, allowed one walk, while posting four Ks. Ecks' strikeout total for the season now stands at 168, only one shy of tying the freshman record set in 1996 by Monica Triner (169).
USF opened up the scoring early and often, taking a 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Bulls took advantage of Pittsburgh's defense, which had trouble fielding the ball. USF only had two hits in the inning, but reached base on three fielder's choices in which no outs were recorded. There was one error and five RBIs in the inning and all the runs were earned for Panthers' pitcher Meghan Bostick.
The Bulls continued to produce runs in the second inning, adding two runs to the board for a 7-0 lead. Britta Giddens led off the inning getting on base after getting hit by a pitch. Stewart knocked in Giddens off a single, and Holle followed that up with an RBI double, each tallying their second RBI of the game.
Only needing one run to end the game due to the eight-run mercy rule, Laura Wolf came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning and drove in the game-ending run off a double to centerfield. Wolf led the team in RBIs, knocking in three runs in the game.
USF will look to continue its solid play in the BIG EAST when it hosts Syracuse on Sunday at noon at the USF Softball Field.
