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The stellar 2019 campaign for the USF softball team came to an end at the Tallahassee Regional on Saturday with the Bulls getting shelled 12-1 by host Florida State in the first game before falling to South Carolina 2-1 in a 10-inning marathon.
FINAL | SC 2, USF 1 (10 inn.)
— USF Softball (@USFSoftball) May 19, 2019
What a season. What a battle. We took every single inning, every moment and battled together as a family.
Seniors, we love you. We are so proud and thankful for everything you've given us. #HornsUp pic.twitter.com/V6IU93aupj
Following a 3-2 victory over South Carolina in the regional opener on Friday, ace starter Georgina Corrick and the Bulls (41-19) were ambushed by No. 4 FSU (53-8) when a Makinzy Herzog grand slam in the top of the third put the Seminoles on top 6-0.
Down 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth, USF did manage to get on the board when a double steal brought Meghan Sheehan home from third. However, the defending national champions continued bring the pain with back-to-back-to-back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the fifth to force a five-inning run-rule into effect.
Matching up once again with the Gamecocks (38-18) later that afternoon, the Bulls struck first in the elimination game when Lindsey Devitt blasted a solo shot to left. SCar would answer back in the bottom of the second with a Haley Simpson RBI single that brought home pinch runner Alex Fulmer.
From there, Corrick and Gamecock starter Dixie Raley dueled well into extra innings before Kennedy Clark homered in the top of the 10th to put the Garnet and Black on top. With everything on the line, a routine 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the frame promptly ended the season for Ken Eriksen and his Bulls.
Meanwhile in Tampa, the baseball team fell just short of securing the eighth and final seed of the American Athletic Conference tournament, falling 7-3 to Wichita State in the season finale on Senior Day.
It’s the first time the program has missed the cut for a conference tournament since 2011.
Family forever pic.twitter.com/e6go9SCXVE
— USF Baseball (@USFBaseball) May 18, 2019
Up 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, a Jordan Santos double down the line plated two to give the Bulls (26-27) a 3-0 advantage.
The Shockers (26-29) came whizzing right back the following inning with a Mason O’Brien two-run bomb tying the crucial contest.
Taking the lead on a bases loaded fielding error in the top of the ninth, Wichita blew the game wide open when Luke Ritter slapped a three-RBI double down the left field line to put them up 7-3. USF could only muster one baserunner in the bottom of the ninth as their 2019 came to a disappointing close.
That officially brought an end to the 2018-19 year for USF athletics so be on the lookout for the TDS Awards coming soon....