CLEARWATER, Fla. – A back-and-forth game between the University of South Florida softball team (6-6) and No. 24 UMass (10-4) was not favorable to the Bulls as USF fell 6-5 to the Minutewomen in the Saturday nightcap at the Under Armour Invitational.
"You have to play flawless softball," said head coach Ken Eriksen. "In a crucial situation today, we didn't make the play. There is no reason why we shouldn't have won this ballgame."
The Bulls were first to strike as Allison Savarese doubled to left center to plate Tara Toscano who reached on a throwing error. Senior JoJo Medina roped a single through the right side to extend the Bulls lead to 2-0 in the first inning.
"We hit the ball well and gave ourselves some good opportunities, especially off a pitcher like that, who is fantastic," said Eriksen.
UMass tried to answer the following inning but great defensive play kept the lead 2-0. A double by UMass, followed by a sacrifice bunt put a runner on third with one out for the Minutewomen. Centerfielder Carly Normandin hit a grounder to Toscano at short, as pinch runner Jill Andrews broke home, allowing Toscano to make the easy fielder's choice to catcher Cat Olnick to keep UMass from scoring in the top of the second.
Redshirt sophomore Capri Catalano got the start for the Bulls but only threw 2.2 innings, giving up four runs on six hits.
In the top of the third, UMass took its first lead of the game on a Sarah Reeves homerun to left field with two Minutewomen on base, giving UMass the 3-2 lead. UMass put another run across before sophomore reliever Brittany Bowles entered the game with two outs. Bowles struck out Whitney Williams with the bases loaded to end the inning.
The Bulls cut the UMass lead to one when Medina singled a ball off the left field fence to start the fourth. Olnick then sent a shot to right center on a full count to safely reach third for her first career triple. Pinch runner Becky Frye scored on the hit.
With the momentum in the Bulls favor, USF scored two runs in the fifth inning to retake the lead. Sophomore Gina Kafalas hit a ball outside the reach of the diving left fielder, Michelle Libby, to touch second with no outs. Hot hitting Savarese blasted a shot to left field with two strikes as she hit her fifth homer of the season to give the Bulls the 5-4 lead after five.
"Once again there is no secret here, hard work pays off," said Eriksen. "Ali, JoJo and Cat are all working hard and seeing the ball well."
UMass quickly answered, scoring two unearned runs in the top of the sixth. The Bulls could not put a run across, suffering the loss to the No. 24 Minutewomen.
Bowles (0-3) got credited for the loss, tossing 3.2 innings, giving up four hits and two runs.
Sara Plourde (8-3) earned the win, hurling all 7.0 innings while striking out 14.
"We are swinging the bat well and being aggressive right now and that is important," said Eriksen.
The Bulls will be back in action tomorrow as they take on Penn State at noon and Quinnipiac at 2 p.m. in the Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater at Eddie C. Moore Complex.
