Photo by Kendall Bulkiewicz | The Crow’s Nest.
By Jorden Pompey
The University of South Florida softball team kicked off its season with four out of six games won at the USF Softball Stadium.
USF went into extra innings to defeat Illinois State University 1-0 at the USF Softball Stadium on Feb. 8.
The defense was the main attraction as USF got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the first inning from sophomore left fielder Alex Gallgani with a single to left field.
Sophomore pitcher Payton Dixon threw the first five innings only allowing two hits and striking out five batters.
Junior pitcher Belle Sardja sealed the win with 3.2 innings pitched allowing one hit and striking out three batters.
The game-winning play was set up by senior utility player Marissa Trivelpiece who sacrificed flied out to left field to allow Elliot to score the only score of the game in the ninth inning.
Bulls defeat Wildcats to sweep opening day
In game two of the doubleheader, USF defeated Bethune-Cookman University 10-0. The Bulls ended the game early in five innings as they swept their opponents.
Sophomore infielder Kathy Garcia-Soto and junior outfielder Allana Consolazio scored in the third inning off a single from Elliot.
Freshman pitchers Julia Apostolakos and Alex Wright combined for the 34th no-hitter in program history as Apostolakos earned the win facing 14 batters and walking three of them.
USF’s late score topped the Wolverines
The Bulls defeated the Michigan Wolverines for the third straight time dating back to Feb. 12, 2022 in a 4-1 victory. 1-0 on Feb. 9.
Dixon pitched all seven innings during the shutout, striking out two batters and allowing three hits.
The lone run came from Elliot who hit a triple out into left field to bring in senior catcher Rian Eigenmann from second base. Along with Elliot, senior outfielder Bailey Drapola, Trivelpiece and Eigenmann recorded a hit.
Beavers hand USF first loss of the season
Oregon State University heated up to defeat USF 7-1 on Feb. 10 in game four of the USF Rawlings Invitational.
Junior catcher Lici Campbell opened up the game with a home run off of Sardja.
The Bulls got on the board with their only run in the fifth inning from junior outfielder and catcher Emma Humplik who grounded out to first and allowed senior infielder Alyssa Rano to score.
Sardja took the loss after giving up two scores and four hits in two innings. Apostolakos pitched for three innings allowing two runs and three hits.
Gators extend Bulls losing streak in blowout
The University of Florida routed out the Bulls 12-3 on Feb. 11 during the Rawlings Invitational.
The Bulls were shoutout until the fourth inning coming from sophomore infielder Tieley Vaughn who batted in Rano.
Drapola hit the first home run of the season in the sixth field over the left field fence.
Offensively, Florida had all the answers for the Bulls’ pitchers.
Apostolakos pitched for one inning and struck out one batter, allowed four runs and walked three batters.
Sardja took over in the second inning and gave up three home runs in her four-inning stint.
Bulls turn it around on closeout game
The Bulls ended the Rawlings Invitational defeating the Kansas Jayhawks 4-2 on Feb. 12.
Graduate infielder Alanah Rivera got the Bulls going with a home run to put the team up 1-0 in the second inning. However, the Jayhawks bounced back in the third to tie the score.
In the fifth inning the Bulls’ bats came alive.
Coming in as a pinch hitter, Eigenmann started it off with a single into left field then advanced to second base from a sacrifice bunt.
Galigani then hit another single into left field to put her and Eigenmann on the corners.
Trivelpiece sent a pitch back up the middle to reach first but the Jayhawks punched out Eigenmann at home plate.
Sophomore catcher Camille Ortiz-Martinez was hit by a pitch, advanced to first base and forced a run.
Rivera singled out to midfield and scored in Galligani and Mallinder to go up 4-2.
Dixon pitched five innings and helped earn the team its second win of the season.
At the end of the USF Rawlings-Invitational, USF finished with a 4-2 record which places them in third in the American Athletic Conference.
USF will host University of Illinois Chicago, Boston College, Hofstra University and Purdue University in the The Fonseca Memorial Tournament from Feb. 16-18.
