STORRS, Conn., APRIL 3, 2015 – USF split a pair of games against UConn on a cold and rainy Friday afternoon at Burrill Family Field in Storrs, Conn.
The Bulls (31-12, 3-4 The American) defeated Huskies (11-22, 1-4 The American), 3-2, in Game 1 before dropping the second game, 8-7, after rallying from a six-run deficit to tie the game in the fifth inning.
GAME 1: USF 3, UConn 2
USF used a trio of doubles to take a two-run lead in the fourth inning and held on for a 3-2 win over UConn in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader.
Lauren Evans hit her second double of the game to score Karla Claudio in the top of the fourth to spot the Bulls a two-run lead. That double would turn out to be the game-winning hit as USF held on for its 31st win of the season.
The Bulls nearly got on the board in the second inning, but Claudio was thrown out at home trying to score all the way from first base on Evans' first double of the game.
USF took advantage of an error by UConn in the third, allowing Cassidy Boyle to reach base to start the inning. Boyle advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by D'Anna Devine and came around to score on an infield single by Astin Donovan with two outs to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies answered right back in the bottom half of the third with a solo home run by Lexi Gifford to tie the game.
USF wasted no time jumping back into the lead, scoring two runs in the fourth inning thanks to three doubles in the frame. Lee Ann Spivey led off the frame with a double down the left-field line and came home on double to right field by Claudio one batter later. Evans followed with an RBI double to give the Bulls a 3-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
UConn cut into the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Alaina Montgomery scored on a passed ball. Juli Weber made a highlight-reel diving catch on a line drive hit to right-center field to end the inning and preserve the lead for the Bulls.
Erica Nunn (9-5) threw five innings, giving up only one earned run before Claudio entered to record the final six outs and earn her NCAA-leading seventh save of the season.
GAME 2: UConn 8, USF 7
The Bulls battled back from a six-run deficit to tie the game but weren't able to finish off the Huskies, falling 8-7 in Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader.
UConn jumped out to an early lead, putting up a three-spot in the bottom of the first inning. The Huskies were aided by back-to-back errors from the Bulls that allowed all three runs to score with two outs.
Two RBI singles by Alyson Ambler and Taylor Townsend extended the Huskies lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the second and UConn tacked on another run in the third after an RBI double by Emily O'Donnell to increase the lead to six.
The Bulls got on the board in the fourth after two UConn errors extended the inning. The second error allowed Kenya Yancy to score after she entered to pinch run for Morgan Litchfield, who walked earlier in the inning.
After Sam Greiner retired the side in order to end the fourth, USF exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth inning. Lauren Evans drove in two runs with her third double of the day and Mia Fung followed with a three-run blast to center field to tie the game at six. It was the second home run of the year for Fung and the third time in five games that the Bulls rallied to tie a game after trailing by five or more runs.
However, the Huskies retook the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, doing all their damage with two outs. Lexi Gifford singled and scored all the way from first on a double to right center by O'Donnell one batter later to put UConn back on top. The Huskies added an important insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Jacklyn Dubois to make it 8-6 heading into the seventh.
USF rallied again in the seventh and cut the lead to one on a bloop single by Cassidy Boyle but came up just short, leaving the tying run on base to end the game.
Despite the loss, the Bulls' freshman class stepped up in the loss, accounting for all six of the team's RBIs.
The Bulls and Huskies will play the rubber game of the series tomorrow 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.
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