TAMPA, Fla. August 17, 2023 – Former University of South Florida softball player, AnaMarie Bruni and the Texas Smoke won the inaugural Women’s Professional Fastpitch league title on Sunday.
The Smoke, who won the regular season, found themselves with their backs against the wall after losing to the SIS Vipers, 2-0, in the opening round. Over the next two games, the Texas Smoke had back-to-back clutch victories over the Vipers and the Pride to play for the league’s inaugural title. Texas went on to defeat the Pride 14-2 in seven innings.
During the playoffs, Bruni had a .222 batting average. In the title game, she went 2-for-4 with one RBI, one triple, and two runs.
Bruni played at USF from 2017-21. While in the Green and Gold, Bruni had a career batting average of .350 with 220 hits, 15 doubles, and seven triples. During her junior season, she was an AAC First Team selection and a member of the NFCA Mideast All-Region Third Team. She finished her career with another AAC First team selection and a spot on the NFCA All-Region First Team.
The WPF was founded in 2021 by USSSA, Smash It Sports, and USA Softball. The league’s exhibition season took place in 2022 and its first official season began in June of 2023. There are currently four teams in the WPF: USSSA Pride (Viera, Florida), Smash It Sports Vipers (Oxford, Alabama), Oklahoma City Spark (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), and Texas Smoke (Austin, Texas).
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 17 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
