The Bulls lost its season opener for the first time since 2016
TAMPA, Feb. 6, 2020 – The University of South Florida softball team fell behind early and could not make up the deficit in a 9-3 loss to Illinois State in its season opener on Thursday afternoon. It was the Bulls’ first loss to the Redbirds since 2013, snapping a six-game winning streak.
AnaMarie Bruni (Schwenksville, Pa.) reached third base in the opening frame, but scoring in the game didn’t begin until the top of the second with Illinois State hitting back-to-back doubles to start a rally that saw four cross the plate before the end of the inning.
The Redbirds added another in the top of the third, but USF responded with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. After loading the bases to begin USF’s third, Brooke Hartman (Port Orange, Fla.) and Aliyah “AJ” Carter (Brownsburg, Ind.) paired together to drive home three runs, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
After taking the circle during the third inning, Camryn Dolby (Round Hill, Va.) shut down Redbird offensive efforts with six strikeouts over four innings. The Redbirds added four runs in the top of the seventh to pull away with the victory.
Quotable
Interim head coach Jessica Moore on the loss:
“I hate to lose more than I love to win, so it’s tough walking away from a loss. I told the girls at the end, ‘Don’t hang your head, by any means.’ I thought we fought. We got ourselves into some tough positions. I think our pitchers battled but extra bases, free bases with walks were just a couple of errors. We put ourselves in a good position to have a close game and we just couldn’t cash in when we needed to and the pitchers got ourselves into a little bit of trouble. My biggest thing is that I hope they learn. This team is going to get better with experience. We’re going to take our lumps. We got punched in the mouth tonight. The biggest thing will be what are we going to do tomorrow.”
Notables
- Camryn Dolby allowed zero hits in four innings, while also striking out six Illinois State batters.
- AnaMarie Bruni began the season with a single and a stolen base for USF for the second straight season. She also had a single and stolen base to open USF’s offensive efforts in the 2019 opener, also against Illinois State.
Up Next
The Bulls begin their games in the USF-Rawlings Invitational with a 4:30 p.m. matchup against Fresno State (RV) on Friday at USF Softball Stadium.
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 –
