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TAMPA, MARCH 23, 2014 – Sara Nevins threw her second no-hitter this season as No. 25 USF stormed past Connecticut, 8-0, to sweep the series at the USF Softball Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It was the sixth career no-hitter for the senior from Pinellas Park and second in just over a week after throwing one against Massachusetts on March 14. Nevins only had to pitch five innings for this one as the Bulls (29-8, 3-0) run-ruled the Huskies (5-20, 0-3) for their seventh straight win. She allowed only two base runners and struck out seven on the way to her 17th victory this year.
“I felt like I competed more today than yesterday and I kept them more off balance,” Nevins said. “It helped getting a big lead today with our bats and of course our defense was great.”
The Bulls got the offense rolling early with five runs in the first inning and never looked back. Stephanie Medina (Tampa) put down a bunt single to score Juli Weber (Hegins, Pa.) for the first run of the game and Lee Ann Spivey (Palm Coast) walked with the bases loaded to score another. Veronica Gajownik (Winter Park) singled in the third run of the frame before Kristen Wyckoff (Plant City) delivered a two-run single for her first two career RBI to make it 5-0 after one.
“It's really easy when you come out and score a lot of runs in the first inning. It's easy for the pitching staff to just go out and do what they need to do because you don't have to worry about anything,” assistant coach Monica Triner said.
Senior shortstop Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.) made it 6-0 in the second with her 33rd career home run, tying her with Holly Groves for first all-time at USF.
An RBI double by Monica Santos (Tampa) in the fourth gave the Bulls a seven-run lead heading into the fifth inning. It was Santos' 10th run batted in on the year, giving the Bulls eight players with double-digit RBI so far this season.
USF scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth when Weber singled to center field where the ball was misplayed by Taylor Townsend, allowing Gajownik to score from first. Gajownik went 2-for-3 on the day with a run and an RBI.
With the win, the Bulls improved to 3-0 in American Athletic Conference play as they head into a crucial portion of their schedule. USF will face three of the conference's top teams in the next three weeks as they take on Rutgers, Louisville and UCF.
“It's huge (to start conference play with a sweep). Connecticut is a good team and they always are very competitive, so to go out and get three wins is huge,” Triner said.
The Bulls travel to New Jersey next weekend for their first road games of the season when they square off against Rutgers. First pitch for game one on Saturday is set for 12 p.m.
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