Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2
TAMPA ? The University of South Florida softball team defeated Stetson, 6-5, in extra innings and dropped the nightcap, 8-0, in Wednesday night's non-conference doubleheader at the USF Softball Complex.
USF, now 40-15 overall and 14-2 in BIG EAST play, continues to hold the top spot in conference rankings with a .875 win percentage.
In game one, sophomore Alison Savarese delivered her fifth sacrifice fly of the season to end the game in favor of the Bulls.
Stetson led off the game with one run in the first, but the Bulls took a 2-1 lead after JoJo Medina sent a two-RBI double to deep centerfield.
USF added two runs in the third when Courtney Mosch blasted a two-out triple to score Medina and Savarese.
The Hatters cut the deficit to one with two runs in the fifth and tied the game in the sixth with a home run to eventually send the game into extra innings.
With the international tiebreaker rule in place in the ninth, Stetson's second base runner scored to put the Hatters up 5-4.
Shortstop Tara Toscano led off the ninth with a single and after a pair of hit by pitch, Lauren Rodriguez crossed home plate to even out the game.
Savarese, currently ninth in the country in sacrifice flies, stepped up to the plate and drove Toscano home to end the game in nine.
The Seminole, Fla., native finished the game 2-for-4, with one run and an RBI.
Capri Catalano, allowed one hit, one unearned run, gave up two walks and struck out five to pick up the win in the circle.
The freshman pitcher remains perfect at 14-0 for the season.
Game Two
The Bulls suffered their second eight-run-rule of the season as they fell 8-0 in six innings to the Hatters.
Andrea Miglori put the Hatters on the board with a home run in the first and added three more after Miglori's second home run of the game, third of the day.
The Hatters doubled up the score in the top of the sixth and struck out all three batters in the bottom half to put the Bulls away.
USF had the opportunity to score in the first when Medina drew an intentional walk to load the bases, but Hatters pitcher Amanda Lindsey stranded the runners on base with two consecutive strike outs.
The Bulls recorded six hits, three from senior Kit Dunbar. Dunbar finished 6-for-7 for the day with one run and no strikeouts.
Kristen Gordon (3-6) was credited with the loss. Gordon pitched the complete game, striking out eight and giving up four earned runs.
“Andrea Miglori is a great hitter,” head coach Ken Eriksen said. “There's a reason she's hit 21 home runs in the season, that's not what hurt us in the second game. We gave up too many walks and that's just something we have to go back to work to. Now we have to look forward and rebound for Louisville this weekend.”
USF will closeout the 2008 home schedule Saturday afternoon when it faces conference rival Louisville in a doubleheader scheduled for 12 p.m.
