TAMPA, April 25, 2015 – The Bulls took Game 1 against Memphis in dominant fashion before dropping a close one in Game 2 to split Saturday's doubleheader in front of 966 fans at the USF Softball Stadium.
Lee Ann Spivey led USF (34-16, 5-7 The American) with four hits and drove in three runs on the afternoon to become just the fourth player in program history to record 50 or more RBIs in a single season.
“You can't have any RBIs unless there's people on base, so that says a lot about my teammates. I don't have 50 home runs, so obviously there are other people helping me out in order to get these stats,” Spivey said.
Karla Claudio also hit her second grand slam of the year in the Bulls' 8-2 victory over the Tigers (15-31, 3-11 The American) in Game 1.
GAME 1: USF 8, Memphis 2
Karla Claudio hit her second grand slam of the season as the Bulls rolled past Memphis, 8-2, in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at the USF Softball Stadium.
USF capped off a six-run third inning with Claudio's clutch homer and got a 3-for-4 performance from Lee Ann Spivey, who leads The American with a .409 batting average.
Memphis grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first before USF took control of the game with its explosive third inning. Veronica Gajownik, Kristen Wyckoff and D'Anna Devine packed the bags for Astin Donovan, who tied things up with a walk.
Spivey followed with an RBI single that set the stage for Claudio, who drove the first pitch she saw well over the wall in left field. The senior from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico has four homers this season and leads the team with 16 RBIs in conference play.
The Bulls tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth and the scoring started with an RBI groundout by Devine. Spivey became the fourth player in USF history to drive in 50 or more runs in a season when she hit a ground-rule double that sent senior Meagan Leddy home with two outs.
“When we come out fighting that just goes to show what we can do. We can come back, we can put a bunch of runs on the board and we're pretty much an unstoppable team when that happens,” Spivey said.
Junior left-hander Erica Nunn (10-6) struck out six and allowed one earned run on six hits in 5.2 innings. Senior right-hander Sam Greiner picked up her first save of the season after giving up an earned run on four hits in the final 1.1 innings.
- Tom Zebold (USF Senior Writer)
GAME 2: Memphis 4, USF 3
The Bulls were unable to rally for the win in a back-and-forth game against Memphis in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader, falling 4-3.
The Tigers opened the scoring in the top of the first for the second straight game after the Bulls committed two errors in the inning.
The Bulls answered right back in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one. Kristen Wyckoff led off with an infield single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Lee Ann Spivey.
After not allowing a hit in the first two innings, Bulls' starter Susan Wysocki ran into some trouble in the third, giving up three hits, including a two-run triple by Lindsay Crowdus that put Memphis back on top, 3-1.
USF cut the deficit to one in the third inning thanks to a two-out RBI double by D'Anna Devine. Wyckoff started the rally with a walk and promptly stole second base to advance into scoring positon before coming home on Devine's single to center field.
A perfectly executed squeeze play helped the Bulls tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Spivey tripled to lead off the inning and came home on a perfect bunt by Monica Santos to tie bring the game even at three.
The Tigers struck again in the top of the fifth as Crowdus drove in her third run of the game in what turned out to be the game-winning hit for Memphis. Devine nearly made an incredible diving catch on the play but was unable to hold on as she hit the ground in right-center field.
Karla Claudio struck out four batters and didn't give up a hit in 2.1 innings of solid relief to keep USF within striking distance, but the Bulls were unable to take advantage of a couple late-game opportunities.
The Bulls had runners on second and third with only one out in the bottom of the fifth but were unable to bring home the tying run as a groundout ended the threat, and Juli Weber led off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit single up the middle but was left stranded on second after three straight outs to end the game.
“We can't find a rhythm to sustain a competitive edge over a two-game period, so it does get a little frustrating,” head coach Ken Eriksen said.
USF will finish its home slate tomorrow on Senior Day with first pitch set for 11 a.m. The Bulls' six seniors will be honored before the game. Purchase tickets HERE.
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 –
