TAMPA, Fla. (April 5, 2006) ? The University of South Florida softball team extended its win streak to a season-high seven games, shutting out Stetson, 5-0, 9-0, on Wednesday night at the USF Softball Field.
The Bulls (34-18) became only the second team all season to hold the Hatters (29-9) scoreless, doing it twice. USF also set the season high for runs scored against its in-state rival with the 9-0 five-inning victory.
In game one, Bree Spence and Nicole Christensen combined for the shutout. Spence (15-6) was credited with the win, scattering five hits in six innings. Of the five hits Spence gave up, none were extra-base hits. Christensen came in the game in the seventh inning and contributed with a solid inning of relief.
The Bulls scored all the runs they needed in the second inning, taking a 5-0 advantage. With two runners on and one out, Carly Griffin drove in the first run of the inning off a double to centerfield, and Laura Wolf followed that up knocking in a run off a single to shallow right field. Jessica Landau came up to bat and, with two USF runners still on base, hit a three-run homer to left field to give the Bulls the five-run lead.
In game two, Cristi Ecks was stellar in the circle, pitching a one hitter. After giving up the lone hit in the game in the fourth inning, the freshman retired the last five batters on Ks for a total of 11 strikeouts in the game. Ecks (14-9) picked up her fifth complete-game shutout victory in the 9-0 win.
USF got its offense going early and often, scoring two runs in the second, two in the third and five in the fourth. Seven Bulls recorded multi-hit games and six players each tallied an RBI.
Landau drove in three runs in a 2-for-2 effort at the plate, including a bases loaded walk. In the two games of the day, the freshman knocked in a total of six runs for the Bulls.
Tiffany Stewart also had a solid offensive outing, going 2-for-2 while tallying two RBIs off a home run to right field.
Freshman Ashley Bullion did her job in the game, getting on base three times with singles and crossing home plate on each occasion, leading the team in runs scored.
With the consecutive wins, USF improves its all-time record against Stetson to 41-5 since the teams first met in 1985.
The Bulls will look to continue their winning ways when they travel to face conference foes Connecticut on Saturday and Providence on Sunday. Both matchups are slated to start at noon. USF is 4-0 in BIG EAST action.
