CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of South Florida softball team scored seven runs on 10 hits in a 7-4 win over the Toledo Rockets to improve to 12-8 on the year in the final game of the Under Armour Showcase.
“We showed a little more patience today,” said head coach Ken Eriksen. “Our slappers have done an unbelievable job in the last five games keeping us in there. The top of our lineup is doing some great stuff right now.”
Senior Alison Savarese roped an opposite field homer, along with a double to drive in three for the Bulls. Sophomore Gina Kafalas was perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 to keep her hitting streak alive at nine games as she also scored a run in her fifth straight game. Senior Tara Toscano also had a multi-hit outing, scoring a game-high two runs.
“I am going up there and not thinking about hitting,” said Kafalas. “I am focusing on just making contact with the top half of the ball.”
Senior righty Kristen Gordon (4-1) earned her third straight win in three appearances, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing three hits while sitting down three Toledo batters.
Toledo started the game by hitting a leadoff triple to right field by centerfielder Kate Ricchio. Starter Lindsey Richardson retired the next three batters, getting three of her four strikeouts in the first.
Between defensive mistakes by Toledo and clutch hitting, the Bulls mustered across two runs. Kafalas trotted to first on a leadoff walk in the bottom half of the second. After stealing second, Toscano singled up the middle to advance Kafalas to third. With Toscano stealing second, a wild throw to the outfield plated Kafalas home for the Bulls' first run.
Savarese stepped up and hit her seventh double of the season to left center to drive in Toscano, which gave the Bulls a two-run lead.
In Toledo's half of the third inning, the Rockets had three hits, including back-to-back doubles off Richardson to even the score, 2-2.
That would be the last time the score would be even, as the Bulls immediately broke the tie in the bottom half of the third. Senior JoJo Medina hit a shot over the right fielder's head for a stand up double. Sophomore Janine Richardson sent a ball deep enough to left field to score pinch runner Kendall Arnold to retake the lead, 3-2.
In the fourth, USF added two more insurance runs to its lead. Sophomore Alexis Nowell walked and advanced to second on a Kelly McCarver slap single. Kafalas laid down her second sacrifice bunt of the year to put both runners in scoring position. Toscano hit a hard grounder to the diving third baseman, driving in Nowell from third. Arnold, who stayed in the game to play first, also hit a sac fly plating McCarver to make it 5-2.
The Rockets fought back as two Toledo runs cut the Bulls lead on a Jillian Spink two-run dinger to left field in the sixth inning.
For the third time in the game, USF pushed across two runs in an inning but this time it was on a Savarese home run. Kafalas was on base for Savareses' third RBI of the game.
“I haven't been seeing the ball very well in my last couple of games,” said Savarese. “Today I was focused on seeing the ball deep and tried to make adjustments during each at-bat.”
With the win, Eriksen is one win shy of his 600th victory as USF's skipper.
The Bulls return back to action at the USF Softball Stadium with a doubleheader against Drake on Tuesday with the first pitch at 5 p.m.
