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TAMPA, MARCH 29, 2015 – The Bulls got solid pitching performances from Susan Wysocki and Erica Nunn but were unable complete the sweep against Tulsa (21-12, 4-2 The American), falling 1-0 in Sunday's series finale at the USF Softball Stadium.
USF (30-11, 2-3 The American) gave up only five hits but was unable to solve Tulsa starting pitcher Caitlin Sill, who shutout the Bulls for only the third time this season.
“Caitlin Sill from Tulsa just threw one heck of a ballgame and really toyed with us pretty good today,” head coach Ken Eriksen said. “That was a pretty gutsy performance … she just absolutely shut us down.”
The Bulls had a great chance to get on the board early after back-to-back singles by Juli Weber and Kristen Wyckoff in the first inning, but Sill forced a groundout with the bases loaded to get out of the jam.
The Golden Hurricane scored the only run of the game in the top of the third as Erica Sampson hit a solo home run to left field.
Wysocki got the start for USF and pitched 3.2 solid innings but was stuck with her first loss of the season. Nunn surrendered only one hit in 3.1 innings of relief to give the Bulls a chance to earn their third come-from-behind win in a row.
The Bulls looked poised to tie things up in the fifth but Weber was thrown out at home plate for the final out of the inning after Wyckoff singled to center field. USF had another chance to tie things up in the sixth with a runner on third but grounded out to end the threat.
Weber and Wyckoff led the team at the plate with two hits apiece but it wasn't enough as the Bulls dropped only their fourth game in the month of March.
Despite the loss, USF still won the series after taking both games of Saturday's doubleheader in dramatic fashion.
“I think that we can take that even if we're down we always have the chance to win,” Nunn said. “Things didn't go our way obviously (today) but it shows that we have a lot heart and to me heart wins ball games.”
The Bulls continue American Athletic Conference play with a trip to UConn next Friday and Saturday. Friday's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. and Saturday's series finale is slated to start at 11 a.m.
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012. The Bulls made their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament last season and posted their 14th season with 40 plus wins under head coach Ken Eriksen.
- #GoBulls –
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