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AMBLER, PA., MAY 4, 2014 – USF Softball has a new record holder for single-game strikeouts as Erica Nunn racked up 18 in the Bulls' 7-1 win over Temple in their regular-season finale on Sunday at Temple Softball Stadium.
The sophomore from Apex, N.C., struck out 18 of the 24 batters she faced and broke Tracey Meade's longstanding record of 17 strikeouts against Bethune-Cookman back in 1990. The lefty didn't allow a single runner to reach base after the second inning en route to her 11th victory of the season.
“It's really cool, I had no idea until (Lee Ann) Spivey and Karla (Claudio) came running out to me at the end of the game,” Nunn said. “I didn't even think I had that many strikeouts, but I think it's awesome. I never thought I'd be able to do that as a sophomore, so that's kind of cool.”
Nunn's only mistake came in the second inning when she surrendered a solo home run to Erin Brennan that gave Temple its only lead of the weekend.
The Bulls' bats stayed hot as well to help complete the four-game series sweep of Temple with a 7-1 win in game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader.
Ashli Goff led the charge, going 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBI as USF registered 11 hits for the game. The Bulls dominated Temple (15-29, 5-13) throughout the weekend, as they outhit the Owls 43-5 and outscored them 30-2 in the series.
The Bulls had seven different players register a hit and for the second straight game had a player post five RBI after not having anyone record more than four in a game all season.
After falling behind 1-0 in the second, USF quickly tied things up in the top of the third when Goff singled to center field to score Nicollette Levine (Lithia, Fla.) from third after she led off the inning with a single.
It didn't take long for USF to bust the game wide open as they posted six runs in the top of the fourth, thanks in large part to a grand slam by Goff. It was the first-career grand slam for the senior from Tampa and her third-career home run. Veronica Gajownik (Winter Park, Fla.) and Juli Weber (Hegins, Pa.) both posted RBI singles in the fourth as well to give the Bulls a 7-1 lead heading into the fifth inning.
Nunn took it home from there, striking out the side in the final three frames to help the Bulls improve to 40-14 on the year and head into postseason play on a seven-game winning streak.
The Bulls travel to Houston to begin play in the American Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday, May 8, where they'll be the No. 2 seed and take on Memphis in the first round.
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