Kyndall Williams used a two-run home run to take down the Lady Vols, while Brooke Hartman singled home the winning-run against FIU
Tampa, Fla., Feb. 22, 2020 – The University of South Florida softball team swept its games in the second day of the USF Invitational behind two walk-offs. Kyndall Williams hit her first collegiate home run to give the Bulls (5-7) a 2-1 win over No. 12 Tennessee. Later, Brooke Hartman singled with the bases loaded to power South Florida past FIU, 5-4.
Georgina Corrick (Sanford, Fla.) earned the win in both games. After a complete-game victory against Tennessee, she entered in for the last inning to earn the win over FIU as well. Vivian Ponn (Fort Myers, Fla.) pitched the bulk of the innings against FIU, going 4.2 shutout innings.
USF 2, No. 12 Tennessee 1
Both pitchers started strong. Corrick sat down Tennessee in order to begin the game, while Callie Turner faced the minimum in the bottom of the first.
The Lady Vols broke through in the top of the third. A solo home run from Kiki Milloy gave Tennessee a 1-0 lead. Corrick settled back in after Tennessee singled to follow up the home run. The junior retired the next nine batters in a row to keep USF’s deficit at one.
UT threatened again in the seventh, advancing a runner to third. However, Corrick retired the next two batters to end the inning without allowing the runner to score.
Hartman (Port Orange, Fla.) began the bottom of the seventh by reaching on an infield single. Jordyn Kadlub (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) came in to run for Hartman and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. Two batters later, Williams (Trenton, Fla.) hit her first career home run to give USF the 2-1 victory over Tennessee.
USF 5, FIU 4 (8 innings)
South Florida didn’t waste time getting on the board against FIU. AnaMarie Bruni (Schwenksville, Pa.) scored on an error in the bottom of the first, while Kelsey Lay (West Palm Beach, Fla.) crossed home plate off a Meghan Sheehan (Forest Hills, Md.) single in the second.
FIU tied the game in the third. A single to start the inning followed by a home run from Jessica Rivera reset the score at 2-2. The Panthers added two more in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.
Two innings later, Aliyah Carter (Brownsburg, Ind.) hit her first career home run to cut the deficit to one heading into the seventh.
The Bulls forced extras after tying the game in the last frame of regulation. Kadlub used a defensive miscue to score and tie the game at 4-4.
Playing with the international tiebreaker rule, starting in the eighth inning, each team started with a runner on second. Ponn, who came in to pitch starting in the fifth, retired the first two batters, while Corrick came in and retired the third to keep FIU off the board in extras.
Starting with Natalie Zweig (Tampa, Fla.) on second, Megan Pierro (Lutz, Fla.) used a sacrifice bunt to advance Zweig to third. Two batters later, USF had loaded the bases to bring up Hartman. Hartman drove the first pitch she saw into left-center field to give USF the 5-4 victory.
Quotable
Coach Jessica Moore on today’s wins…
“It was crazy. Those were really good wins over two quality teams. To have it come down to the last out or last strike, it was really good to see the girls come back and fight.”
Coach Moore on the effort from Hartman and the team…
“[Hartman] has been super gritty. I think I can say that about the majority of our team. They’re going after it. They’re not playing fearful. Their eyes are in the front of their head. They’re just kind of going after it and seeing what would happen. We talk about that a lot. Can you just go for it, and then at the end of the game we’re going to look at the scoreboard and see who won. Thankfully, it favored us today.”
Notables
- Bethaney Keen (Bradenton, Fla.) led the team with 13 putouts across the two games.
- Kadlub made her collegiate debut, pinch-running and scoring in both games for USF.
Up Next
The Bulls wrap up the USF Invitational with a rematch against No. 12 Tennessee on Sunday at USF Softball Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 15 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
