GoUSFBulls.com Bulls Extend Win Streak to Thirteen Games

[Brad]

Bulls Extend Win Streak to Thirteen Games

March 16, 2016
By  USF

 

TAMPA (March 16, 2016)— The USF softball team picked up its 20^th and 21^st wins of the season, sweeping a doubleheader with Lehigh and Maine. The Bulls defeated the Mountain Hawks 13-2, before topping the Black Bears 9-3.

USF has now won 13 straight games and 19 of the last 21. The Bulls have hit at least one home run in their last 11 games and hit at least two in four of the last five.

The Bulls return to the field on Friday, March 18, for a doubleheader with Chattanooga and Georgia Tech beginning at 1:45 p.m.

Game One: USF 13, Lehigh 2

Kristen Wyckoff went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI and Mo Santos went 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI as the Bulls topped Lehigh, 13-2.

The Bulls took an early three-run lead after the first inning, sending every batter to the plate. Kristen Wyckoff led off with a single, stole two bases, and came home on a throwing error to put USF on the board before Juli Weber even finished her first at-bat. Weber walked and came around on a pair of singles and a sac bunt, scoring on an Erica Nunn RBI single. Mia Fung, who singled in her first at-bat, scored on a Mo Santos fielder’s choice RBI to make it 3-0 after the first.

Similar to the first inning, Kristen Wyckoff led off with a single and came home on a Weber triple. Lee Ann Spivey and Santos each drove in a run to make it 6-0 with just one out. Astin Donovan got in on the scoring action, driving in a pair on a bases loaded RBI single. With the top of the order due back up, Wyckoff drove in Donovan on an RBI single in her second at-bat of the inning.

USF tacked on another three runs in the third on a Santos RBI double and a Cassidy Boyle sacrifice fly. Sam Worrell hit her fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning, making it 13-0.

Lehigh got on the board in the fifth on an RBI double from Cassie Lejeunesse and an RBI single from Katie Schultz.

Nunn picked up her 10^th win of the season, throwing three shutout innings. The senior struck out five and gave up just three hits. Susan Wysocki closed out the game, throwing two innings of two-run ball.

Game Two: USF 9, Maine 3

The Bulls used two four-run innings to extend their win streak to 13 games with a 9-2 win over Maine.  

Maine struck first on a solo home run to left center by Maddie Decker in the top of the second inning. The Black Bears would add another run in the third on an RBI single from Rachel Harvey.

USF cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly from Mia Fung, scoring Kristen Wyckoff. The Bulls would load the bases with just one out, but were unable to plate any more runs.

In the fourth, the Bulls plated four runs to take the lead. A pair of walks with one out put two on for Juli Weber. On the first pitch, Weber doubled to centerfield to drive in Lauren Evans and Wyckoff. Fung hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season to plate Weber and put USF on top 5-2.

On the first pitch of the fifth inning, Sam Worrell hit her second home run of the day and fifth of the year to make it a 6-2 game. Worrell is now just three home runs away from tying the USF freshman home run record, set by Stephanie Medina in 2011.

USF continues to plate runs in the fifth, using a Maine error, and RBI groundout and an RBI single. After Worrell’s home run, Evans walked and Astin Donovan singled to put two on with no outs. Wyckoff followed with a single and a throwing error by the Maine shortstop allowed Evans to score. Donovan scored on a Fung groundout and Wyckoff followed on a Lee Ann Spivey RBI single.

Susan Wysocki picked up her fifth win of the season, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out three. Erica Nunn earned her third save of the season, throwing 2.2 innings and giving up just one run.

Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The Bulls open the 2015 season on Friday, Feb. 12, at 2:15 p.m. against South Carolina at the USF Softball Stadium. Get your season tickets and mini plans HERE. 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.

- #GoBulls –

 

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[Brad]

[bullsfan27]

picked up a pair of shutouts today. win streak is now up to 15 and have now won 21 of their last 23. 9-0 over chattanooga and 8-0 over georgia tech 

[Dogma]

On 3/17/2016 at 0:46 AM, Brad said:

Hate seeing so much blue/orange

[Brad]

Dominant Bulls Extend Winning Streak to 15

March 18, 2016
By  USF

 

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MARCH 18, 2016 – Timely hits and convincing wins just keep on coming for USF softball.

Head coach Ken Eriksen’s Bulls extended their winning streak to 15 games with a pair of run-rule shutout victories over quality opponents Friday at the USF Softball Stadium.

USF (23-9) started the day with a 9-0, five-inning victory over Chattanooga and followed it up with an 8-0, five-inning win over Georgia Tech in the afternoon. The Bulls have outscored opponents, 114-25, during their winning streak that dates back to March 5.

“We’ve just got it clicking now, we’re not trying to do too much,” Eriksen said. “They’re just really staying basic and you see what’s happening. We’re avoiding a lot of strikeouts, we’re putting the ball in play, getting the barrel to the ball and the pitchers are giving us a great chance to score first.”

The star of the day was ace Erica Nunn, who also played a big role in USF’s production at the plate. The senior left-hander from Apex, N.C., went a combined 4-for-5 with two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs. On top of all that, Nunn struck out six in seven scoreless innings between the two games.

“I’m not even speaking to her right now,” Eriksen said with a smile. “The best thing in the world is to stay away. I don’t want to get in her way because she’s enjoying it. She’s 22 years old right now, she’s a senior and she’s finally enjoying the ballgame.”

USF continues its Spring Break Tournament run with two games in Clearwater on Saturday. The Bulls take on Kent State at 2:15 p.m., followed by a test against Marist at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

Game 2: USF 8, Georgia Tech 0 (5 innings)

Erica Nunn homered, drove in two runs and pitched three more scoreless innings in USF’s second run-rule victory of the day.

Kristen Wyckoff and Astin Donovan each went 2-for-2 at the plate and combined to drive in three runs to help the Bulls keep rolling through opponents.

The Bulls started the day with a 9-0 win over Chattanooga in five innings and tallied two more runs in the first frame against Georgia Tech (10-15).

USF had the bags packed for Nunn with one out and the senior drove in her sixth run of the day with a sacrifice fly to left field. Monica Santos stepped up with two outs, lining a single up the middle to drive in Mia Fung.

The Bulls used their speed to extend their lead to 3-0 in the second inning. Donovan laid down a bunt single with one out, stole second and made it to third on a throwing error. Donovan raced home on an infield single by Wyckoff.

USF’s lead was up to 4-0 in the third inning thanks to Nunn’s second home run of the day. After hitting a two-run shot against Chattanooga, Nunn showcased her power by crushing an opposite field, solo homer over the wall in left-center.

“I think I was just trying to hit the ball square. I didn’t really try and do too much with it,” Nunn said.

Four different hitters drove in a run in the fourth inning to help the Bulls put away the Yellow Jackets.

Donovan finished her perfect outing at the plate by ripping an RBI double to right-center. Another infield single from Wyckoff plated Donovan and Juli Weber followed with a run-scoring single to left-center. USF was on the verge of another run-rule victory after Lee Ann Spivey singled up the middle to score Weber.

Susan Wysocki picked up her first save of the season by getting the Bulls out of a jam in the fourth and pitching two scoreless innings. Nunn (12-5) set a new single-season career high in wins after scattering four hits in three innings. USF pitchers have combined to post seven shutouts this season.

Game 1: USF 9, Chattanooga 0 (5 innings)

Erica Nunn pitched four scoreless innings and drove in five runs at the plate in the Bulls’ five-inning, run-rule victory.

Nunn (11-5) matched her previous top season wins total after striking out five and giving up two hits. The senior left-hander helped her own cause by going 3-for-3 with a home run and a pair of doubles.

“I’m not putting pressure on myself like I have in previous years,” said Nunn of her approach at the plate. “I’m not trying to hit eight-run home runs, I’m just trying hit the ball and it’s been really fun.”

Nunn’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run first inning for the red-hot Bulls.

Kristen Wyckoff led off with a single and scored two batters later on an RBI double by Mia Fung. Nunn came up to the plate with two outs and hit a two-run shot just over the tall wall in right field. Nunn is one of six Bulls with at least three home runs this season.

USF extended its lead to 6-0 by scoring three more runs with two outs in the third inning.

Nunn brought her RBI total up to four with another powerful swing in the third inning. The senior’s double to left-center sent Lee Ann Spivey and Juli Weber home. Monica Santos followed with an RBI single up the middle.

USF put itself in position to secure the victory early with four more runs in the fourth inning and finished with five extra-base hits.

More production from Wyckoff and Webber spotted the Bulls a 7-0 lead. Wyckoff legged out a one-out infield single and stole two bases before Weber drove her in with a single up the middle.

Spivey’s sacrifice fly made it 8-0 Bulls and Nunn capped off her outstanding game at the plate with an RBI double to left-center.

Freshman right-hander Cheyenne Eggens lowered her ERA to 2.35 by pitching a scoreless fifth inning. Chattanooga (15-4) managed just three hits in USF’s sixth shutout of the year.

“They’re having a lot of fun,” Eriksen said. “These are good teams we’re playing right now, there are no slouches.”

 

- #GoBulls –

 

[Ionbull]

What a crazy day for Erica Nunn both at the plate and Pitching. Sheesh this team is Un-Stop-A-BULL! 

[raptorcj]

8 hours ago, Dogma said:

Hate seeing so much blue/orange

Yeah, doin' work though. Keep making their team look bad enough, and they'll stop showing up in numbers.

[Bull Matrix]

27 minutes ago, raptorcj said:

Yeah, doin' work though. Keep making their team look bad enough, and they'll stop showing up in numbers.

Are they Chattanooga fans ?? Must be the parents 

[USFBulls12]

Too bad this team started off so poorly. Had we been playing at such a high level since the beginning,  we'd be in contention right now.  We can still get there but we need to show we can beat the tough teams we lost to at the beginning of the season. Coach Erikson does such a fantastic job, I have full confidence in him and his team. 

[Ionbull]

1 hour ago, USFBulls12 said:

Too bad this team started off so poorly. Had we been playing at such a high level since the beginning,  we'd be in contention right now.  We can still get there but we need to show we can beat the tough teams we lost to at the beginning of the season. Coach Erikson does such a fantastic job, I have full confidence in him and his team. 

To be fair they played a really impossibly tough schedule out of the gate with losses to current Nos 1-3 in the AP (Florida, Michigan, Auburn), #16 Tennessee and Oklahoma St who is receiving votes in the first two tournaments alone. Seems like that tough stretch at the beginning has toughened this team up and now they are playing with fire thru the "softer" part of the schedule. We are 23-9 and 2nd in the conference but we will see what we can do when conference play starts. 

Its amazing, how many teams in ANY sport has to play the top three teams in the nation in the first two weeks?