TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2007) ? Right fielder Courtney Mosch hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the No. 24-ranked University of South Florida softball team to a 2-0 victory against Hofstra on Monday night in the final game of the Wilson Tournament at the USF Softball Field.
The game was a pitching duel from the start against Hofstra's Kayleigh Lotti and USF's Cristi Ecks. Lotti was getting the best of the Bulls for six innings, only giving up one hit before the Bulls got three straight in the seventh to score.
Ecks, who was credited with her fourth win of the season, gave up nine total hits and battled out of some tough situations. After giving up two base hits to open up the game, Ecks retired the final three batters on Ks, two were looking and one was swinging. In the third inning, the Pride had their best scoring chance, loading up the bases with two outs, but Ecks came through and froze Laura Jaxheimer at the plate on the third-called strike to get out of the inning.
Ecks notched a total of 13 strikeouts in the game, setting a new career high, and moved into sole possession of eighth place with a total 263 Ks. The sophomore surpassed Jill Klein's total of 255 strikeouts to climb up the USF record books.
The Bulls waited until the very end to get their offense going, as Lotti (2-1) seemed to confuse the USF lineup. Britta Giddens recorded USF's second hit of the game, doubling to straightaway center in the seventh to equal the go-ahead run. Danielle Urbanik followed her with an infield single, putting runners at the corners. After Melissa Rosas came in to pinch run for Urbanik, Mosch crushed the ball over the left-field fence. After discussions on the field, what looked to be a three-run homer was overturned because Mosch and Rosas crossed paths running around the bases. Mosch was credited with a two-run blast and only two-RBI and was called out for advancing past the preceding runner.
In the end, the Bulls got the run that they needed to walk away victorious and improved their record to 7-5 on the year, while Hofstra's drops to 3-2.
USF will continue its homestand this weekend when it hosts “The Game” Tournament Friday through Sunday at the USF Softball Field.
