TAMPA, Fla., May 14, 2025 – There were random or not-so-random moments when USF softball coach
Ken Eriksen said he felt something special was brewing.
The Bulls (43-14-1) won the American Athletic Conference Tournament championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Regionals. USF opens Friday afternoon (ESPNU at noon) against the SEC's Auburn Tigers (32-22) on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee.
That's special enough.
But the manner in which USF arrived at this postseason party?
Pure storybook.
"This bunch … they're going to fight, they're going to battle and they're going to play hard until the last out,'' Eriksen said.
Maybe it was the home game against UAB, the night after a heartbreaking defeat, when
DaNia Brooks was called out after what looked like a brilliant head-first diving slide into home plate during the ninth inning. Brooks said her hand touched the plate before UAB's tag. After an interminable wait, the umpire's call was reversed by replay, and the Bulls had won.
Maybe it was the series opener at Charlotte. In the seventh inning, the Bulls trailed by two runs. Down to their last out, the Bulls got an RBI triple from
Kathy Garcia-Soto. RBI doubles from
Olivia Elliott and
Alexa Galligani to produce a riveting 3-2 victory, the first leg of a three-game sweep.
Maybe it was the series finale at Wichita State. The Bulls trailed by five runs entering the seventh. Two outs. Nobody on. Wouldn't you know it?
Alanah Rivera blasted a two-run homer. One batter after USF was down to its last strike, Brooks produced a three-run shot. USF impossibly forged a 7-7 tie. Regrettably, there were no extra innings. The Bulls had a commercial flight to catch. They didn't win. But more significantly, they didn't lose, either.
When you thought you had seen it all, the Bulls pulled another Houdini act on Saturday afternoon during the AAC Tournament title game at USF's home field. The Bulls had an early four-run deficit against North Texas. Down to their final six outs, with hope teetering, they trailed by two.
Alex Wilkes led off the sixth inning with a homer, making it a 4-3 game, and
Camille Ortiz-Martinez worked a 3-2 count with one runner on before a weather delay halted the action.
First came the lightning.
Then came the thunder.
When the Bulls returned, after Ortiz-Martinez had one hour and 27 minutes of delay time to ponder the payoff pitch, she stayed disciplined and worked a walk. That moment turned the tide for good, helping to spark a three-run sixth inning. The Bulls surged ahead to a 5-4 lead that they preserved despite some nervous moments.
North Texas put the tying run in scoring position following a seventh-inning leadoff double. But closer
Belle Sardja got a strikeout and flyout before a two-out line drive caromed off her upper chest. Initially stunned, she calmly picked up the ball and threw to first for the final out.
The IncrediBulls were champions.
For the record, the clinching moment left its mark. Sardja still has a colorful bruise (shaded in purple, blue, and green), but she's feeling more joy than pain.
"Our team is really something amazing,'' Sardja said. "We never give up.''
Eriksen said he remembers last Aug. 25, when his team first arrived on campus for the fall semester. The players made a declaration that day. They were going to be champions.
"This team has no fear,'' Eriksen said. "We don't have any superstars. But collectively? Man, that's a gang out there. They hustle and leave it on the line. That's the hallmark of our team. They don't care what anybody else thinks. They're going to play until the last out.''
Now, the Bulls are back in a familiar position, where the national conversation will inevitably focus on a potential Auburn-FSU matchup, where no outsiders expect much from this plucky USF squad.
Just the way the Bulls like it.
"This whole thing has been awesome,'' Rivera said. "We've talked about this since the beginning of the season. It's the way we wanted to go out. We get our (championship) T-shirts, hats, and rings. But we're not done yet.''
"There's nothing to lose at this point,'' catcher
Josie Foreman said. "Like Coach (Eriksen) says, the team that has the most fun is the team that's going to win. So, I think that's the goal — to have the most fun. This whole season has been a blast.''
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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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