|
|
 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
R |
H |
E |
|
RI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
|
USF |
5 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
10 |
1 |
|
Pitching |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
|
W- Spence |
5.0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
|
L- Hartzell |
5.1 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
|
Hitting Leaders |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
HR |
|
USF - Medina |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
| |
TAMPA- After playing small ball in the opening game of the USF The Game Tournament, the University of South Florida softball team used a five-run first inning and the long ball as the Bulls tied the USF single game record for home runs in their 7-1 win over Rhode Island.
“It's always good to get the first two wins of a tournament,” said Bulls head coach Ken Eriksen. “I was really happy with the way we came out offensively. I want us to come out like that every game and maintain it innings one through seven."
Three different Bulls went deep in the game, tying a mark that has been done five other times in USF's 24 year history with the last time coming against Robert Morris in 2006.
Richardson, the Bulls leadoff hitter who started the earlier game with her first career triple, started the night cap with her first career homerun, a high-arcing shot over the left field wall, to give the Bulls an early 1-0 lead.
However, the Bulls were not finished.
The Bulls would push across five runs in the inning. With one out, junior JoJo Medina doubled down the right field line, followed by Bulls' clean-up hitter Alison Savarese. She would swap positions with Medina as she roped a double to left center to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead.
After a Cat Olnick single to right field, the Bulls had runners on first and third with one down. Stepping to the plate would be Kendall Arnold and she put a charge into an Allison Hartzell delivery sending it over the left field wall, and ultimately chasing Hartzell from the game after recording just one out.
Offensively, the Bulls would go silent until the fourth inning. During that time, Bulls' senior Bree Spence was dealing her way to her second win of the season. Spence went five innings, giving up just one run on three hits. She fanned six Rams on the evening. Spence now has 56 career wins and 344 career strikeouts, moving her past Laurie Romero (1985-86) into sixth place in the USF record books.
“I think we saw some really good things from Kristin Gordon (in the first game) and Bree Spence (in the second game)," said Eriksen. "It was good to see Bree attack the hitters. She has worked hard to get back to where she was a few years ago."
Spence was relieved in the sixth by freshman Candace Howell, who worked two scoreless innings in relief. She gave up just one hit.
In the fourth inning, the Bulls would keep their recent power surge up and running again. Richardson would walk to start the inning and she would advance on a sacrifice by Gina Kafalas, bringing up Medina. Medina crushed a Jayshree Narendan deep to left for a two run homer. The round tripper, Medina's first of the season, pushed Medina into a tie for seventh all-time with 14 career homers.
USF, now 8-4 on the season, out hit Rhode Island, 10-4.
USF will be back in action tomorrow at 2 p.m. in game three of the day of the 2009 USF The Game Tournament when they host Albany.
