USF Athletics Weekend Round-Up

Softball rolls to perfect weekend, extends winning streak to nine, Corrick continues to make history

On Friday, USF Swept the doubleheader beating UIC 5-0 and FAMU 6-3. Senior ace Georgina Corrick continues to pitch gem-after-gem going five innings, striking out five and allowing only three hits vs. UIC. The Bulls capitalized on four errors from the visitors as junior Alexis Johns led the way going 2-4 with two runs and added two stolen bases. In game 2, senior Erin Poepping got the start giving up only one earned run in 4.2 innings pitched and five strikeouts, but a bases-loaded walk followed by two passed balls gave FAMU three runs in the fifth. No matter though as Corrick came in to shut the door pitching two innings and striking out four of the six batters she faced. The Bulls offense scored four runs in the second and stole seven bases on the evening with Johns nabbing three of them. Meghan Sheehan led the way going 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored as USF combined for 12 hits.

On Saturday, the Bulls did more of the same, sweeping the doubleheader beating UIC 4-0 and Army 4-1. Georgina Corrick did more Georgina Corrick things pitching a complete game shut-out vs. UIC striking out eight and allowing only three hits and no walks. The offense again capitalized on UIC errors scoring two unearned runs and swiping a combined five bags with Johns stealing three of them. Junior Dezarae Maldonado led the way going 2-3 with a run as the Bulls totaled seven hits. Poepping started game two allowing no runs in 3.2 innings pitched with a couple of punch-outs vs. Army, but the story of the game was Corrick coming in relief in the fifth and recording her 1,000th career strikeout while securing the win. She struck out four of the eight batters she faced in 2.1 innings pitched. The offense mustered four runs on eight hit with Sheehan going 2-3 with a run.

On Sunday, Corrick saved the best for last making the start vs. FAMU and throwing a perfect game - the fourth in program history in a 9-0 victory. Corrick had electric stuff striking out eight of the 15 batters she faced while only throwing 56 pitches.

Corrick’s statline after this weekend: 13-0 , 1 save, 87.1 IP, 127 K, 5 BB, 0.08 ERA. The Bulls haven’t lost a game that she’s pitched in. This is such elite stuff from Corrick that I just sit back and marvel that I/we get to witness it every weekend.

The offense also came alive in the victory scoring nine runs on eight hits. Madison Epperson and Jordyn Kadlub registered multiple hits and Johns stole another base. That makes nine stolen bases for her over the course of the weekend and 18 total on the season.

In all five games the offense scored at least a run in the first or second frame and never relinquished the lead.

USF (17-3) continues its homestand with a doubleheader vs. Stetson on Wednesday and games vs. Army (Friday), Stony Brook (Saturday), UMass (Saturday), and Ohio State (Sunday) over the weekend.

Baseball takes two of three from Brown

On Friday, sophomore Jack Jasiak continued to prove why he is an elite ace on this staff - going seven innings allowing only two hits and striking out twelve. This included an immaculate inning in the first - three batters faced, nine pitches, three strikeouts. Daniel Cantu led the way going 2-4 with a run and Carmine Lane hit his third HR in the fifth in the 3-0 win.

On Saturday, fortunes reversed as Brown came out on top 9-5. Junior Brad Lord started the game giving up four runs on seven hits in three innings pitched, but struck out six. The Bears offense just came alive mashing 17 hits and amassing a 7-0 lead before the Bulls scored their first run in the fifth. Sophomore Ben Rozenblum went 2-5 with an RBI double in the fifth to lead the way offensively.

On Sunday, the offense came alive collecting six runs on 12 hits including two homeruns by sophomore Drew Brutcher in his first two at-bats. Brutcher had a day going 4-5 with 4 RBI in the matinee adding a double in the 6th. Sophomore Orion Kerkering made his second start of the season striking out 10 in six innings pitched - the longest outing of his career - surrendering only two earned runs. Florida transfer and Palm Harbor native Hunter Mink closed the door striking out two in one inning while earning his third save of the season.

USF (7-4) has a busy week welcoming Boston College to the Red for a two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday before a three-game series vs. Bradley starting on Friday.

Women’s Tennis gets winning streak snapped, falls to South Alabama 4-3

The no. 68 ranked South Alabama Jaguars visited Tampa over the weekend and ended USF’s two match winning streak despite securing the doubles point in two courts. Freshman Grace Schumacher was the lone Bull to win their match, doing so in 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 fashion. Three of the other four singles matches that South Alabama won came down to the final set.

USF (3-8) welcomes VCU to the USF Varsity Tennis Courts on Wednesday before heading to New Orleans this weekend to face Middle Tennessee and Tulane.

Men’s Basketball wraps-up regular season with loss at Temple, 75-47

USF ended their regular season in the City of Brotherly Love with their 22nd loss of the season and 15th in-conference. The Bulls regressed to their woeful shooting beyond the arc shooting 5.6% (1-18) with the lone make coming from Mark Calleja with under three minutes to play. USF shot just under 29% from the field including 24% (6-25) in the second half. Alternatively, Temple shot 39% from the field and 44% from three. Freshman Sam Hines Jr. led the way with 12 points on 6-9 shooting and sophomore Russel Tchewa brought down seven rebounds.

As it stands at the end of the regular season, USF is dead last in the nation in both total field goal percentage (37.85%, 629-1662) and three-point field goal percentage (25.64%, 131-511) in 29 games played. That’s out of 350 Division I programs. On the other side of the ball USF is ranked 83rd in defensive field-goal percentage holding opponents to 41% from the field.

USF 8-22 (3-15) will face off against C. in the first round of the AAC Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Bulls beat C. back on January 15, 75-51 at home and lost to them 68-49 on February 3.