TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 27, 2007) ? The University of South Florida softball team posted consecutive victories against Eastern Michigan, 8-0, 7-6, in non-conference action at the USF Softball Field Tuesday night.
With the pair of wins, the Bulls record improves to 13-6, while the Eagles slate drops to 1-8.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Bulls opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of an Eastern Michigan error. After Kit Dunbar walked and stole second base, Caitlin Schneider hit a grounder to third baseman Lindsay Ritz, who threw the ball in the dirt to first base, allowing a run to score.
USF added another run to its lead in the top of the third inning, capitalizing on another Eagle misplay. Ashley Bullion hit a fly ball to center field and Heather Giroux dropped the ball, which advanced Bullion to second base. After JoJo Medina moved Bullion to third base on a groundout, Courtney Mosch singled to left field, driving in the runner.
In the fifth inning, the USF offense exploded, adding six runs to end the game 8-0 due to the mercy rule. Medina led off the inning with a single up the middle. After Jessica Landau came in as a pinch runner, she crossed home plate when Mosch pulled the ball down the left-field line for an RBI double. A single by Alison Savarese and a walk by Kit Dunbar filled the bases for Schneider, who singled up the middle and drove in her second run of the day. With the bases still loaded, Aya Nakajima came up to the plate and hit a grand slam home run over the left-field fence to close the game.
Mosch was credited with the win, pitching a five-inning shutout. The junior transfer allowed four hits and struck out five to improve her record to 4-1 on the year. She also went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs in the game.
In game two, the Bulls got their offense going early and jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Four consecutive walks by Michelle Hletko put USF's first run on the board. With the bases loaded, back-to-back base hits by Nakajima and Bullion scored two more runs. A fielding error by the Eagles' third baseman allowed two more USF runners to cross home plate, and Cat Olnick doubled off of the left-field fence to drive in the final two runs of the inning.
The Eagles scored their first run of the day in the top of the fourth inning, 7-1. After a leadoff single and a USF error put Eastern Michigan runners at first and second base, a hit batter eventually loaded the bases with two outs. Lindsay Ritz singled over third baseman Brittany Villa's head for an RBI single.
In the fifth and the sixth inning, EMU got its offense in motion and scored five runs, cutting the Bulls lead down to 7-6. All runs scored by the Eagles in the two innings were with two outs on the board.
Reliever Cristi Ecks came into the game in the sixth inning and got the final four outs to end the Eagles comeback while picking up her first save of the season.
Bree Spence (2-1) was credited with the win, allowing two runs ? none were earned ? on five hits in four innings.
The Bulls will return to tournament action when they host the Louisville Slugger Tournament Friday through Sunday.
