By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, FEB. 11, 2015 – It's the post-Sara Nevins era in the pitcher's circle at USF and each of the Bulls' arms proved to be up for the challenge during season-opening weekend.
Erica Nunn, Sam Greiner, Susan Wysocki and Karla Claudio combined to post a 2.12 ERA in five games at the USF Softball Classic. Nunn, Greiner and Wysocki each picked up a victory and all four pitchers held opponents to a .200 batting average or below.
“They attacked the batters a lot more. We got ahead and we challenged people last weekend, which was good,” said assistant coach Monica Triner. "Like Coach (Ken) Eriksen says all the time, 'We have Suzie All-Staff,' which means pretty much everyone is going to pitch every game and we kind of go about it like that.”
Greiner, a senior right-hander, earned the win in USF's season-opening 7-5 victory over Hampton on Feb. 5 by tossing four shutout innings and allowing just one hit. Nunn, a junior left-hander, followed that up with 10 strikeouts in her first-career solo no-hitter as USF cruised past Illinois State, 7-0, on Feb. 6.
Wysocki won in her first-career start against Jacksonville on Feb. 7, when the redshirt freshman right-hander allowed two hits in four shutout innings of the Bulls' 9-1, five-inning victory. Claudio, a senior right-hander, gave the Bulls a huge boost against No. 1 Florida on Feb. 8 by limiting the Gators' potent offense to two runs in four innings of relief.
“They want to be that person coming in every game,” Triner said. “It kind of got overshadowed when they didn't get to pitch a lot (last season) and now they're going to be able to show what they can do.”
Speedy Bulls on the Base Paths
Eriksen said speed was going to be one of the team's strengths heading into the season and the Bulls showed how dangerous they can be on the base paths during opening weekend. USF stole 16 bases in 18 attempts and outscored opponents, 31-20.
“We've gone out and recruited and looked for kids who are very athletic and who can run. It's starting to show now and it's putting defenses in hard positions,” Triner said.
Leading in the steals department are freshmen Mia Fung and Astin Donovan, who each went 4-for-4 in attempts. Veronica Gajownik, Lauren Evans and Kristen Wyckoff aren't far behind with two steals apiece.
“We have a lot of speed this year and we're really going to utilize it,” said Wyckoff, who led the Bulls with 18 stolen bases as a freshman last season.
Talented Freshmen Class
Coach Eriksen isn't afraid to play freshmen in key situations and young Bulls stepped during opening weekend by accounting for more than a third of USF's runs. Five freshmen produced their first-career hits and the group totaled four RBIs.
Lauren Evans (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) was busy on the base paths with four runs scored and the first baseman hit a two-run homer against Illinois State. Donovan led all freshmen with four hits and five runs scored while Fung and Kenya Yancy each drove in runs.
“Coach Eriksen is always mixing up lineups, making sure that we get the right mix. The kids work well together in making sure everything flows very smoothly,” Triner said.
Looking Ahead to This Weekend
The Bulls are back at USF Softball Stadium for the USF Presidents Day Weekend Tournament that features more quality opponents.
USF faces St. John's on Friday at 3:45 p.m. and concludes the first day of action with a test against Detroit at 8:15 p.m. The Bulls take on No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday at 3:45 p.m., followed by a game against Fordham at 8:15 p.m. USF concludes the weekend with a matchup against FGCU on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Purchase tickets HERE.
USF (3-2) is received votes in both polls after hanging tough with No. 8 Michigan and defending national champion Florida last weekend.
“We don't put any pressure on anybody saying, 'The ranked teams are the ones we've got to go after.' We've got to go after them all,” Triner said.
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. The Bulls made their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament last season and posted their 14th season with 40 plus wins under head coach Ken Eriksen.
