TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2007) ? The No. 24-ranked University of South Florida softball team snapped its three-game losing streak on Saturday, defeating Florida A&M, 11-3, in five innings and Wichita State, 2-0, in day one of the Wilson Tournament at the USF Softball Field.
With the pair of wins, USF's record improves to 5-4 on the season.
The Bulls' offense scored early and often in their first game of the day, defeating FAMU in the fifth inning due to the eight-run mercy rule. USF scored 11 runs on 15 hits and eight of nine batters recorded a hit in the game.
Freshman Lauren Rodriguez recorded her first multi-hit and multi-RBI game, knocking in two runs in a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. Rookie Tara Toscano went 3-for-4 and led the team with three runs scored, while sophomore Jessica Landau recorded two hits in three at-bats and tallied two RBI. Junior catcher Laura Wolf also had her first multi-hit effort of the year, going 2-for-3.
USF opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of a FAMU error. Aya Nakajima led off the inning with and single to right field, stole second and advanced to third on a ground out. With two outs on the board, Danielle Urbanik hit a grounder to short and the fielder bobbled the ball, scoring Nakajima from third while Urbanik was called safe at first.
In the top of the third, the Lady Rattlers (0-6) copied what the Bulls had done the previous inning and took a 3-1 lead thanks to USF misplays. FAMU scored all of its runs after its first two batters in the inning were retired on groundouts.
The Bulls quickly answered back in the bottom of the inning and they continued their offensive attack throughout the remainder of the game, scoring three runs in the third and fourth inning and four in the fifth.
In the third inning, Toscano led off with a single through the right side, stole second and scored when Urbanik reached on another error. After Landau knocked in another USF run with a base hit to left center, Wolf singled to advance Landau to third and Rodriguez brought her home with an RBI single.
Nakajima led off the fourth with a bunt single and Toscano followed her with another base hit. After a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Bullion advanced the runners, Urbanik singled up the middle, driving Nakajima home. On the same play, the centerfielder had trouble fielding the ball, which allowed Toscano to score. Landau ended the Bulls scoring in the inning driving in the third run with a single through the left side.
In the fifth inning, USF sent all nine batters to the plate. Carly Griffin opened up with a walk and scored on a Toscano RBI single. A Bullion base hit put runners at the corners and Urbanik loaded them up with a walk. Freshman Alison Savarese emptied two of the bases with a single to deep left field and Rodriguez ended the game with an RBI single to right field.
Courtney Mosch picked up the win to improve her record to 1-1 on the season. The redshirt junior allowed three runs ? none were earned ? on four hits, while retiring seven batters on Ks.
With one swing of the bat, USF jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Wichita State in game two thanks to a Griffin home run to left field. The blast was the 12th of the junior's career, putting her in a three-way tie for eighth place with Urbanik and Ginny Georgantas in the USF record books.
In the bottom of the third inning, Wichita State (2-6) had a chance to put some runs on the board after a leadoff double and a hit by pitch put runners on. With one out on the board, the Bulls intentionally walked Erin Peters to load the bases. USF starting pitcher Cristi Ecks came up big for the team, retiring the final two batters on strikeouts.
The Bulls added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, making the score 2-0. Bullion led off the inning with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a groundout and went to third on single down the left line by Urbanik. Mosch came up to bat and hit a grounder to second base and the Shockers tried to get the force but committed an error, scoring Bullion.
Bree Spence came into the game in the seventh inning and closed it out with a hitless, scoreless inning for the 2-0 win. Spence picked up her first save of the season and notched two Ks in her inning of relief.
Ecks (3-1) got the start and combined for her second shutout victory of the season. In six innings, the sophomore scattered three hits while only allowing a walk. Ecks recorded career strikeout No. 250 in the game, getting the eight Ks needed for the milestone achievement.
With the win in game two, the Bulls earned their first-ever victory over Wichita State in four tries.
USF will look to continue its winning ways on Sunday when it faces No. 15 Washington at 2 p.m. and East Tennessee State at 4 p.m. on day two of the Wilson Tournament.
