USF Athletics Weekend Round-Up

Men’s Basketball Wins Thriller on Tchewa’s Buzzer Beater 56-54 at Cincinnati

Sophomore Russel Tchewa hit an off-balance hook shot as time expired to walk-off the Bearcats and snap a six-game losing streak in a game that went down to the wire. Tchewa led the way for the Bulls scoring 13 points on 4-9 from the field and added five rebounds and a block. Sophomore Caleb Murphy also scored in double digits with 10 points on 5-13 shooting and added three assists. Nine different Bulls scored points and contributed in the game shooting 39% from the field and over 38% from three while holding the Bearcats to 32% from the field and under 21% from three.

USF (8-20, 3-13) returns home to the Yuengling Center for Senior Night on Thursday vs. Memphis before the final game of the regular season at Temple.

Women’s Basketball Outlasts ECU 68-60 in Final Conference Road Game

Senior Bethy Mununga secured her 900th career rebound becoming USF’s fifth player to do so and senior Dulcy Fankam Menjiadeu added a double-double (18 points and 17 rebounds) as the Bulls scored the most points in a game since January 22 vs. Temple extending their win streak to four. Elisa Pinzan finished an assist shy of a double-double adding 18 points on 4-10 shooting and nine assists. USF shot only 38% from the field and 30% from three, but held the Pirates to 36% shooting and only 33% from three. ECU capitalized off of 18 USF turnovers turning them into 23 points in a game that had six lead changes and was tied seven times.

USF (21-7, 11-3) returns home to the Yuengling Center for Senior Night on Wednesday vs. Houston for the final game of the regular season.

Baseball Sweeps Three-Game Series vs. Stony Brook

USF had a very successful weekend sweeping Stony Brook in a three game series outscoring the opposition 29-7. On Friday, USF recorded a comeback victory 3-2 as sophomore ace Jack Jasiak pitched his second quality start of the season striking out eight and only giving up one earned run in six innings of work. Sophomore Orion Kerkering recorded his first save of the season after the Bulls offense took the lead in the bottom of the eighth thanks to two bases loaded walks. USF came back to win despite striking out ten times and leaving eight on base.

On Saturday, the offense came to life registering 13 hits and nine runs in a 9-3 victory, including three in the opening frame. Four Bulls had multiple hits and eight recorded at least one hit in a game the Bulls led wire-to-wire. Sophomore Joaquin Monque hit his first homerun in the third and junior Brad Lord secured his second win giving up three runs (two earned) in 5.1 innings, striking out three.

On Sunday, the offense continued it’s hot streak from Saturday routing the Seawolves 17-2 and putting up 17 hits. Carmine Lane started the fireworks with a two-run blast in the first going 3-5 on the day with 3 RBI. Sophomores Drew Brutcher and Daniel Cantu also launched homeruns on the matinee going 2-5 with 5 RBI and 2-4 with 1 RBI respectively. Every position player registered at least one hit with four knocking multiple hits. Freshman Dylan Vega only gave up one run and four hits in 4.2 innings of work, striking out three in his first start in a Bulls uniform.

USF (4-2) will look to continue its all-around success as it opens mid-week action vs. FIU at home on Tuesday before traveling to Jacksonville to play North Florida on Wednesday. The Bulls will then open a three-game series vs. Brown starting on Friday at home.

Softball has four shutout victories as the Bulls go 4-1 in USF Tournament

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before - senior pitcher Georgina Corrick pitches, Bulls win. That trend continued this weekend as USF hosted the USF Invitational, winning four of the five games vs. Fairfield, St. Jospeh’s, and St. John’s and all of the games in which Corrick pitched in. On Friday, USF shutout Fairfield 8-0 and St. Joseph’s 5-0 giving up a combined four hits to sweep the doubleheader. Corrick had a combined seven innings pitched (five in game 1 in the start and two in game 2 in relief) striking out nine and walking only one. The offense put together 17 hits in the doubleheader as sophomore outfielder Meghan Sheehan led the way going 3-5 with four RBIs.

On Saturday, the Bulls split the doubleheader losing to Fairfield 4-0 and then shutting out St. John’s 6-0. Erin Poepping pitched 3.1 scoreless innings before Fairfield put up two runs in the fourth and fifth frames. Sheehan went 2-3 in the opener. In game 2, Corrick pitched another gem going the distance and striking out 13(!!) with no walks giving up only three hits in a 6-0 victory. USF took the lead in the first and never looked back. Josie Foreman (solo) and Madison Epperson (3-run) added homeruns as the Bulls put together eight hits.

On Sunday, USF notched their fifth shutout of the season with a 2-0 win over St. John’s. Corrick - again - pitched a complete game shutout striking out seven and only giving up two hits. It was her 110th career start eclipsing Sara Nevins’ and Monica Triner’s record for most starts in program history. After only two hits through four innings, the offense came through in the fifth on junior Alexis John’s single and a fielding error. Johns went 3-4 on the day with one RBI. Corrick collected her eighth win on the season and sixth complete game and hasn’t lost a game so far.

USF (10-3) has a loaded week heading to Fort Myers to play FGCU for a Wednesday doubleheader before returning home to face Illinois-Chicago and FAMU on Friday, Illinois-Chicago and Army on Saturday, and FAMU on Sunday.

Women’s Tennis Wins Second-Straight Match By Defeating FGCU 4-1.

USF compounded victories for the first time this season after a comeback victory vs. Stetson 4-3 on Wednesday by beating FGCU 4-1. The Bulls won the doubles point in straight sets and didn’t look back. Junior Amelie Boy and freshman Sierra Berry won their matches in straight sets and junior Laura Pellicer won 6-3, 6-4, and 6-2 to clinch the match for the home team.

USF (3-7) will look to continue the streak vs. South Alabama on Saturday.

Men’s Tennis goes 2-1 in Tempe Elite 8 in Arizona.

The Bulls headed west for three matches in the Tempe Elite 8 winning two over the weekend. On Friday, USF faced Cal Poly losing 4-1. Cal Poly took the doubles point, but the USF duo of Alvin Tudorica and Sergio Gomez Montesa took the first court winning in straight sets. Montesa also won his singles match for the Bulls lone point.

On Saturday, USF took down New Mexico winning 5-1. The Bulls took the doubles point and never looked back with only one match going to three sets. Ivan Yatsuk, Antonio Muniz, Montesa, and Tudorica all registered wins on the day.

On Sunday, USF closed out the weekend vs. 65th ranked Rice and won in dominating fashion 4-1.

USF (4-5) returns home to face South Alabama on Wednesday, Middle Tennessee on Thursday, and Furman on Friday.

Track and Field brings home more hardware in the AAC Indoor Championship

Coach Erik Jenkins and the Track and Field program traveled to Birmingham to compete in the AAC Indoor Championships bringing home some hardware in the process. Freshman Shaniya Benjamin was named AAC Indoor Freshman of the Year while also bringing in the Indoor Long Jump individual conference championship. Junior Romaine Beckford also posted an individual conference championship for the Indoor High Jump by breaking his own school record. In total, the Bulls earned 11 top-three finishes over the weekend. The Men scored a team total of 67 coming in fifth and the Women scored a team total of 41 coming in sixth.