SOUTH BEND, Ind. (May 10, 2007) ? After Pittsburgh tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the seventh inning, the University of South Florida softball team came back to win in the ninth thanks to a Kit Dunbar sacrifice fly, 2-1, at the BIG EAST Championship quarterfinals at the Belleville Softball Complex Thursday afternoon.
With the win, the Bulls (44-21) advance to play Louisville in the semifinals on Friday at 4 p.m.
Cristi Ecks started in the circle and received a no-decision, allowing one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts in six and one-third innings. Kristen Gordon (16-6) was credited with the win, closing out the final two and two-thirds innings with no runs, two hits and five strikeouts.
Britta Giddens led the Bulls with a 3-for-5 effort at the plate. Danielle Urbanik and Dunbar each recorded an RBI.
USF opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first off an Urbanik RBI single. After Tara Toscano singled and advanced to second on groundout, she touched home on Urbanik's base hit to center field.
Ecks preserved the lead through six innings with her 10 Ks, including retiring seven straight. The sophomore closed out three of the six innings 1-2-3.
In the seventh inning, Pitt led off the inning with a single and a walk off Ecks. After a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, a suicide squeeze by the Panthers scored the equalizer.
Gordon closed out the seventh inning, ending Pitt's scoring chance by striking out the final two batters.
In the eighth and the ninth inning, Pitt had the go-ahead run on base, but Gordon shut down the opportunity each time.
Lauren Rodriguez and Giddens hit consecutive singles to lead off the ninth inning. After Toscano advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, Dunbar hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score the winner. The sac fly was the second of her career.
