TAMPA, Fla. (April 23, 2006) ? The University of South Florida softball team split games with Syracuse University, winning 3-1 and losing 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at the USF Softball Field.
Syracuse (30-19, 12-6 BIG EAST) handed the Bulls their first BIG EAST loss of the season, which puts their record to 41-20, 11-1 BIG EAST on the season.
In game one, Syracuse got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. With both pitchers keeping the game scoreless it was only a matter of time before Syracuse, who was out-hitting the Bulls 8-2, put together a scoring chance. Tonye McCorkle led off the inning with an infield single, advanced to second on a sac bunt and moved to third on a fielder's choice. Alexis Switenko came up to bat and gave the Orange the lead with an RBI single.
After USF's bats were struggling for most of the game, the Bulls got their offense in motion and came-from-behind to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Samantha Ray led off the inning with a single down the left line and stole second. Senior Christie Chapman came up to bat and came through for the Bulls, knocking in the equalizer off a double to right field. Chapman's double was the first extra-base hit in the game. With room to work with to take the lead in the game, Tiffany Stewart hit the second double of the game with a shot to the gap in right field, which put runners at second and third with no outs. With Krista Holle at bat, she drove in the go-ahead run, hitting a chopper over the third baseman's head for a RBI single. Ashley Bullion gave USF an insurance run, hitting a sac fly to centerfield, scoring Stewart from third base.
Cristi Ecks came into the game in the seventh inning to close out the game for the win. After giving up two hits, she got the three final outs of the game off an interference call, a groundout and a strikeout to tally her third save of the year.
Bree Spence (19-6) got the 3-1 win, allowing one run on eight hits while walking a batter in six innings of work. The sophomore got into some trouble in the third and fourth inning, allowing Syracuse to load up the bases, but she came through and worked out of both situations.
Game two featured a classic pitching duel between USF's Ecks and Syracuse's Switenko, as both pitchers combined for just a total of three hits in the game.
Switenko (12-3) came out the victor, pitching the complete-game one-hit shutout, in which she gave up two walks in the start.
Ecks (17-11) scattered two hits in the game and walked one batter. The freshman struck out three batters in her complete game, setting the new freshman record for Ks in a season with 173. The previous record was set at 169 by Monica Triner in her 1996 rookie season.
The Orange scored the only run they needed in the first inning, 1-0. A leadoff walk by Dani Stuart came back to hurt USF pitcher Ecks, as she eventually scored the game winner on a sac fly by McCorkle.
Switenko had a no-hitter going until the bottom of the seventh when, with two outs on the board, Krista Holle singled to the gap in right center to put the tying run on base. After Holle stole second, putting her in scoring position, Bullion had a chance to be the game winner, but Switenko continued her stellar play and got Bullion to fly out to left field.
The Bulls will look to get back on the winning track when they host Notre Dame on Saturday in doubleheader action. Game one is set to start at noon and will be broadcast live by ESPNU.
