TAMPA, Fla., April 18, 2025 –
DaNia Brooks led the University of South Florida softball team with two RBIs in game two of the three-game series against Memphis on Friday.
Belle Sardja tied a single-season USF save record with her eighth of the year as the Bulls (35-12-1, 14-5-1) handled the Tigers (16-29, 4-16) 5-3 inside the USF Softball Stadium.
South Florida remains 1.5 games behind Florida Atlantic in the American Athletic Conference standings as both teams claimed victories on Friday. The Bulls have a half-game lead over the North Texas Mean Green.
Brooks led the USF offense with two RBIs.
Camille Ortiz-Martinez scored a game-high two runs.
Karhys Pierce and
Alex Wilkes each added an RBI. Wilkes,
Alexa Galligani, and
Grace Chin scored the other three runs for the Bulls. With a hit in today's game, Galligani extended her streak of reaching base safely to 13 games.
Payton Dixon got the start in the circle and improved to 17-5 overall. She struck out two batters. She gave up three earned runs on three hits in 5.0 innings of work. Sardja scattered two hits in her 2.0 innings of relief. She recorded her eighth save of the season and moved into a tie for first in the USF single-season save list.
The Tigers got on the board in the first inning with a solo home run from Zoe Adebayo.
South Florida answered in the home half of the second.
Alanah Rivera and
Camille Ortiz-Martinez were hit by a pitch to start the inning.
Karhys Pierce dropped down a sac bunt and moved the runners up. Brooks lined a double off the center-field wall and put the Bulls up 2-1 after two innings of play.
In the top of the third inning, Garcia-Soto made a spectacular defensive play on a chopper up the middle. She made the challenging play look effortless.
Ortiz-Martinez recorded a one-out triple, the first of her career, off the center-field wall in the bottom of the fourth. Pierce delivered an RBI single to left field and put the Bulls up 3-1 after four innings of play.
Galligani notched a one-out single to right field for the Bulls in the bottom of the fifth inning. Wilkes followed with a single to right field. After Galligani moved to third on the play, Wilkes got into a rundown, which allowed Galligani to score. Wilkes proceeded to steal second and scored after a throwing error by the catcher and a fielding error by the center fielder. The Bulls took a 5-1 advantage into the sixth inning.
Memphis cut the South Florida lead in half in the top of the sixth inning. The Tigers scored two runs on three hits and cut the USF lead to 5-3. Sardja closed out the game for her eighth save as the Bulls claimed a 5-3 victory.
Key Stats:
- The Bulls are 32-0-1 when they record more hits than their opponents.
- Belle Sardja tied a single-season program record with her eighth save of the season. She moved into a tie for third in the USF career saves list with 14.
Notables:
- Alexa Galligani has reached base safely in 13 straight games.
- Olivia Elliott extended her hitting streak to seven games and has reached safely in seven straight contests.
- Kathy Garcia-Soto tallied six assists, moving her season total to 111. She moved into the top 10 in the nation in assists.
- The Bulls turned two double plays, bringing their season total to 25. USF is inside the top 10 in the country.
Up Next:
South Florida and Memphis conclude the three-game series on Saturday inside the USF Softball Stadium. The game's first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 on ESPN+ and Bulls Unlimited.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls softball at the USF Softball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking
HERE.
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About USF Softball
The South Florida softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 17 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012. Under head coach Ken Eriksen, who enters his 28th season in 2025 and has accumulated 1,117 wins, ranking seventh among active DI head softball coaches, USF has produced 10 NFCA All-Americans, two USA Softball Top 10 Player of the Year, and one NFCA Pitcher of the Year. In 2022, Georgina Corrick became the first player in softball history to earn the NCAA Pitching Triple Crown. She led the nation in ERA (0.51), Victories (37), and total strikeouts (418).
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#GoBulls –
