TAMPA, Feb. 28, 2024 – The University of South Florida softball team (12-5) defeated the Stetson Hatters (6-10) twice in its Wednesday night doubleheader at the USF Softball Stadium. The Bulls won 4-0 and 7-2.
Payton Dixon (Smyrna, Del.) set a new career-high of 13 strikeouts in the first game of the doubleheader. It’s the most strikeouts thrown by a South Florida pitcher since May 6, 2022, when Georgina Corrick threw 15 strikeouts at Memphis.
With the two wins, South Florida is now four wins away from reaching 1,500 wins in program history, while Ken Eriksen is five away from reaching 1,100 career wins.
Game One | Stetson 0, South Florida 4
South Florida wasted no time getting on the board. Three singles was all it took for the Bulls to take the 1-0 lead. Alanah Rivera (St. Petersburg) drove in the first run on a single down the left-field line.
The Bulls scored their final three runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Tieley Vaughn (Wesley Chapel) started the fourth inning with a solo home run over the left-field wall. It was Vaughn’s first home run of the season.
With two outs and one Bull on base, Camille Ortiz-Martinez (Salinas, Puerto Rico) followed in Vaughn’s footsteps and hit her first home run of the season over the left-field wall.
Dixon earned her seventh start of the season and pitched her third complete game. She set a new career-high of 13 strikeouts.
Game Two | Stetson 2, South Florida 7
The Bull’s offense lit up in the third inning, scoring five runs and taking the 5-2 lead. Stetson scored two runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the day.
Two walks and a single loaded the bases for South Florida. A single from Marissa Trivelpiece (Sugarloaf, Pa.) scored two runs to tie the game. Rivera brought the next run across the plate with the Bull’s third single of the inning.
DaNia Brooks (Tampa) hit the first triple of her career to clear the bases and score two more runs.
South Florida added two more runs in the sixth inning. Josie Foreman (West Palm Beach) reached on a fielding error to keep the inning alive and allow a run to score. Rian Eigenmann (Millville, N.J.) had the last RBI single for the Bulls.
Belle Sardja (Gibsonton) earned her seventh start of the season. She pitched 4.1 innings, then Lexie Kopko (Stewartstown, Pa.) pitched 0.2 innings and struck out one. Sardja re-entered the game in the top of the sixth inning. Sardja finished the game with five strikeouts.
Notables
- Rivera led the team with three hits, extending her hit streak to four games.
- Ortiz-Martinez and Vaughn hit a home run.
- It’s the first multi-home run game for the Bulls this season.
- Dixon set a career-high of 13 strikeouts.
- It’s the most strikeouts a Bulls pitcher has thrown since May 6, 2022, against Memphis.
- South Florida now has 50 wins over Stetson.
- South Florida is now four wins away from reaching 1,500 in program history.
- Ken Eriksen is now five wins away from 1,100 in his career.
Up Next
South Florida will start the USF Tournament with a doubleheader against Louisville and Georgia Southern on Friday. The Bulls and Cardinals will play at 3:30 p.m., followed by the Bulls and Eagles at 6 p.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 17 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women’s College World Series in 2012.
– #GoBulls –
