TAMPA, Fla. (April 27, 2007) ? The University of South Florida softball team extended its win streak to four games on Friday afternoon, sweeping BIG EAST rival Providence College, 3-1, 6-2, at the USF Softball Field.
Freshman Kristen Gordon (11-6) was the game-one winner, pitching two hitless, scoreless innings of relief with two Ks. Cristi Ecks didn't allow a hit or run while striking out three in the final two innings for the save. Ecks ties the single-season record with six saves and is in second-place all-time with 11 for her career. Courtney Mosch (10-4) was the game-two winner, allowing two unearned runs on five hits in four and two-thirds innings.
On the day, senior designated player Danielle Urbanik led all Bulls with a .714 average, going 5-for-7, and tied Mosch for the team-high with two RBIs. Two other players each had a four-hit day.
In game one, the Bulls (37-21, 9-5 BIG EAST) got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Urbanik got things started with a leadoff single and Cat Olnick followed with a walk. After Mosch advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Alison Savarese drove in a run with a single to shallow right field.
USF added another run to its lead in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Kit Dunbar doubled and then scored off a single by Urbanik to shallow right field. The Bulls eventually loaded the bases, but could not bring any more runners in.
In the top of the fourth, Providence (22-20, 6-12 BIG EAST) cut the deficit down to one. Mary Rose Sheehy led off with a triple and scored on a Christy Becker RBI single. With the tying run on base, starter Bree Spence was pulled in favor of Gordon, who retired the next three batters. Spence scattered six hits and gave up a run in three innings.
The Bulls rebuilt their lead to two runs in the bottom part of the inning. After Lauren Rodriguez singled and stole second, she touched home off a Britta Giddens RBI single.
In game two, USF opened up the scoring in the first inning, putting three runs on the board. A single by Giddens and a double by Dunbar put runners at second and third. With the count 3-0 on JoJo Medina, the fourth-called ball bounced in the dirt and scored Giddens on the wild pitch. Urbanik singled in Dunbar from third base and Courtney Mosch tallied an RBI on a ground out.
The Bulls continued their offensive production in the second inning, taking a 4-0 lead. With a runner at second base, Dunbar singled to right field for the RBI.
A bases-loaded walk by Courtney Mosch in the fourth inning put the Bulls ahead by five.
The Friars got their offense in motion in the fifth inning. A bases-loaded hit by pitch and an RBI on a fielder's choice put Providence within two runs of the lead. With runners at second and third and the equalizer at bat, reliever Gordon struck out Sheehy for the final out of the inning.
In the sixth, Liz Howell capped off the scoring for the Bulls with a bases-loaded walk.
Ecks closed out the seventh with a perfect inning of relief and a strikeout.
The Bulls will look to continue their four-game win streak when they welcome Connecticut on Sunday at 11 a.m.
