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Baseball Takes Series Versus Samford
USF Baseball took on Samford in a Sunday rubber match after dropping the second game on Saturday night. After Pat Doudican gave up four hits and a score in two innings, head coach Billy Mohl called to the bullpen to bring in JUCO transfer Ben Koff.
Koff was able to keep Samford at bay, striking out seven and only walking one batter in a hair under five innings pitched. Graham Hoffman came in for relief in the seventh and gave us a little scare in the eighth inning.
A fielding error, a ground rule double, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Hoffman with no outs as Samford was looking for another big inning to capitalize like they did Saturday night. Hoffman proceeded to strike out the next three batters and eventually close out and earn the save.
Offensively, freshmen Nick Gonzalez was effective yet again, going three for give with two runs scored. Jordan Santos provided a spark in the bottom of the second after Samford had taken a 1-0 lead, getting a bases clearing double to score Gonzalez and Sullivan to go ahead 2-1. Kyle Phillips and Jake Sullivan provided an RBI of their own to add insurance and get to a final score of 4-1.
Softball Earns Another West Coast Win
Across the country, USF softball played the final game of the Hillenbrand invitational against the University of New Mexico. Nicole Doyle got the start for the Bulls and pitched lights out for five and a third innings. The senior struck out six and surrendered three hits and one run before Georgina Corrick came in for relief. Corrick was able to keep the score at 1-0 going into the bottom of the 6th, where USF struggled to string together hits once again.
Corrick was able to retire the three batters she faced in the top of the 7th, and in the bottom of the inning, three freshmen came up big.
Megan Pierro started the inning by drawing a walk, Dezarae Maldonado hit a chopper to center field, where a throwing error allowed her to reach and Pierro to advance to third. Finally, Jacye Michael hit a sac-fly to score Pierro and tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh.
The Bulls left two stranded to lead the game to extra innings, where once again, Corrick was able to keep the Lobos at bay. With international tie-break rules in effect for the NCAA this year, each team starts with a runner on second base, USF was able to make quick work of these rules, having Lindsey Devitt hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Meghan Sheehan from second to third.
Keen was able to secure the victory after hitting a single into center field, scoring Sheehan and have USF close out the tournament going 3-2.
Both teams are back in action this week, Baseball faces the #6 Florida Gators for one game on Tuesday at 6:30 and Softball begins their Rawlings invitational on Friday against Virginia Tech at 3:00, then Georgia State at 5:30.