USF (26-14, 4-2) will host ECU (19-17, 1-5) at USF Softball Stadium Friday through Sunday
TAMPA, April 4, 2019 – After a road sweep against Houston, USF returns to Tampa to host ECU at the USF Softball Stadium Friday through Sunday.
The Bulls (26-14, 4-2) executed the first sweep of their American Athletic Conference slate with three wins over Houston last weekend. It was a back-and-forth battle in game one, but sophomore Georgina Corrick, this week’s American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, fanned eight and held the Cougars to just two runs in the 4-2 win. USF scored three runs on two RBI singles, and senior Lindsey Devitt (Jacksonville, Fla.) put the final insurance run up with a solo shot to left center.
The Bulls delivered a pair of 3-0 shutout wins in games two and three at the hands of senior Nicole Doyle (Aurora, Ohio) and Corrick (Sanford, Fla.). Doyle pitched her third one-hitter of the season in game two, and junior Riley Gore got USF on the board with a two-run home run over the center field fence. USF crossed home again on an error.
Corrick struck out 13 batters, the most Houston has struck out this season, in Sunday’s 3-0 finale. She walked just one Cougar and Lay crossed home plate twice for two of USF’s runs. Freshman Megan Pierro (Lutz, Fla.) scored her second run of the weekend in the Bulls’ win.
Corrick finished the weekend with two complete-game wins, one shutout, 21 strikeouts and two wins to improve to 14-2 this season. Corrick ranks in the top 20 nationally in six categories where she also ranks first or second in The American. Corrick ranks No. 8 in ERA (1.12), No. 14 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.41), No. 19 in strikeouts (141), and No. 20 in strikeouts per seven innings (9.3). In all four of those categories, Corrick ranks first in The American. She checks in at second in The American and No. 18 nationally in victories (14), and second in The American and No. 20 nationally in hits allowed per seven innings (4.09).
Scouting the Opponents
ECU (19-17, 1-5)
The Pirates have faced Memphis and UCF in conference play so far, falling in a sweep to UCF and taking one from Memphis in extra innings, 5-4(8). ECU fell in run-rule losses in its other two games at Memphis.
Redshirt junior Rachel McCollum leads the Pirates’ offense, averaging .371 (39-for-105) with eight doubles and six home runs. She has 65 total bases and is slugging .619. She has recorded 37 RBI, 3 runs, and has appeared 35 games for ECU.
Sophomore Erin Poepping leads the Pirate pitching staff with a 12-11 record and a 3.84 ERA. She has recorded 143 innings, and 14 complete games. Poepping has limited opponents to a .261 average and has recorded 119 strikeouts in 29 appearances for ECU.
Last season, ECU was the only conference opponent that was able to get a series win over the Bulls, but USF leads the all-time series, 21-11. The teams last met in Greenville, USF took the first game 7-3, but fell with a pair of 3-2 losses in the next two.
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 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
Erin Beck // USF Athletics
Assistant Director of Communications
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