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By Sean Barows
GoUSFBulls.com
TAMPA - Despite another strong performance by senior pitcher Lindsey
Richardson the Bulls dropped their first game of the season, 2-1, to Florida
Atlantic in front of a crowd of 1,100 at the USF Softball Stadium.
Richardson only gave up four hits and one earned run while striking out eight, but USF
was unable to get the bats going against FAU sophomore pitcher Samantha Messer.
Messer scattered six hits and gave up only one run in her second start of the
year.
An early error by the Bulls led to the Owls first run of the
game. Christina Martinez reached second base to lead off the game when junior
shortstop Kourtney Salvarola threw the ball over first basemen Stephanie Medina's
head. Martinez then stole third and scored on a squeeze bunt by Kathryn Spack,
beating Medina's throw to the plate.
The Bulls threatened to tie it up in the bottom half of the
first with runners at first and third with no outs, but Medina grounded into double
play and Kenshyra Jackson popped up to end the inning.
There were very few opportunities for either team the rest
of the way as Richardson and Messer took control of the game.
USF had runners at first and second with no outs in the
fourth but Jackson flied out to center and Ashli Goff was gunned down at third
after tagging up on the play.
In the top of the sixth senior Stephanie Juergens came in
for freshman Erica Nunn to play left field and robbed Stephanie Call of a home
run to keep the deficit at one.
FAU was able to pad their lead in the top of the seventh though
when Alexa Ballard hit a solo home run to left field.
However, USF would rally in the bottom half of the seventh.
Jackson led off with a single to center and then freshman Lee Ann Spivey
doubled down the left field line to score Courtney Goff who came in to pinch run.
“The whole time she had been pitching me the first strike
every time and I had watched it, so I was just thinking to attack the first pitch
because I knew the strike was coming,” Spivey said about the at-bat.
That's all the Bulls would get though as Messer retired the
next three batters to end the game.
USF finishes the weekend with a 3-1 record after defeating
Marshall, No. 13/15 Michigan and Samford.
“We learned a lot about our team which is great, we learned
a lot of things that we didn't really know before, in respect that who was
going to be able to come up in crucial situations and perform, and how are
freshmen pitchers were going to do,” head coach Ken Eriksen said. “We also
learned that this is a humbling game, you can have the greatest of highs and
sometimes the next day you got to find the energy.”
The Bulls will be back in
action again next weekend when they host the USF 4 Team Tournament at the USF
Softball Stadium. Their first match-up will be against N.C. State Friday, Feb.
15.
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