TAMPA, Fla., May 15, 2025 – To succeed in softball, the University of South Florida Head Coach Ken Eriksen said he believes you first need three things.
 
Pitching, pitching, and pitching.
 
"If you're not strong in the circle, you can't control the ball game,'' Eriksen said. "You can come out hitting all day, but if the other pitcher is on, you're not hitting them, right?
 
"Aaron Judge (New York Yankees outfielder) said it (in baseball). What's the difference between going 4-for-4 and 0-for-4 with three strikeouts? Well, when you're 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, you're not touching that guy (pitcher). You've got to understand that the person in the circle sets the tone all the time.''
 
And that's why the Bulls (43-14-1) have earned a spot in the NCAA Regionals with a Friday high noon (ESPNU) showdown looming against the SEC's Auburn Tigers (32-22) on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee.
 
The Bulls thrive with the dynamic pitching duo of left-hander Payton Dixon (19-6, 2.67 ERA) and right-hander Belle Sardja (16-4, 1.79). It's two very different personalities and distinct approaches — Sardja is more prone to emotion, while Dixon remains placid — but Eriksen uses them interchangeably.
 
Starter? Reliever? It doesn't matter. It depends on matchups and gut instinct. Opponents are kept guessing. The combination of Dixon and Sardja has proven to be an efficient strategy.
 
"It's easier for us to be a duo and a battery pack together,'' said Dixon, who can become the ninth USF pitcher to compile a 20-victory season. "If one of us isn't on that day, the other one probably will be. We're just very versatile.''
 
"We complement each other really well,'' Sardja said. "You get two different looks. We use that to our advantage. If she goes out there first or I do, whoever it might be, you see a completely different thing when the other one comes in. It can trick the eyes (of hitters).''
 
Eriksen's USF softball program became a reliable powerhouse primarily due to the presence of All-American pitchers, such as Georgina Corrick, Sara Nevins, Leigh Ann Ellis, Erica Nunn, and Monica Triner.
 
Maybe there isn't a dominant singular presence this season, but Eriksen said the Bulls remain ultra-competitive on the mound.
 
"They are both gritty pitchers,'' catcher Josie Foreman said. "Even if their stuff isn't on, they'll figure out how to win for us. They have some similarities, but also some differences.''
 
Dixon, a former two-time state champion in Smyrna, Delaware, grew up on an 800-acre farm. Her family raised pigs, chickens, and cows. She used to compete by showing cows at livestock events.
 
Dixon, who graduates this summer with a degree in communications, said she's leaning toward not using her final season of softball eligibility at USF. She wants to return home and enter the police academy to begin a law enforcement career.
 
Sardja, born in Bali, a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia, now considers herself more of a city girl, thriving on the activity and people of downtown Tampa. She was also a high-school state champion, hitting the walk-off shot for her Academy of the Holy Names team to win the Class 3A title in 2021. Before arriving at USF, she also led Florida Southwestern College to a pair of junior-college national titles.
 
Saturday, Sardja closed out the American Athletic Conference championship game, earning a USF-record ninth save in a 5-4 victory against North Texas.
 
On Sunday, Sardja walked in USF's graduation ceremonies, receiving her communications degree.
 
"That was quite a weekend,'' Sardja said. "There was so much to remember, but we've got to move on and focus on what's next. We're on a huge stage now, but I don't think our mindset will change one bit. We've had our ups and downs, but through it all, we're going to continue being confident, doing what we can, and trusting God with the rest.''
 
For Dixon, it's the culmination of a dream.
 
"When I was young and going through the recruiting process, I wanted to go somewhere in Florida,'' Dixon said. "I came to camp at USF and just fell in love with the coaches and facilities. I knew it was a place that could get me where I wanted to go.
 
"And now here we are at the (NCAA) regionals. This has been an amazing feeling, and we are not done yet. I honestly couldn't ask for anything more.''
 
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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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