May 18, 2001

Box Score

The USF softball team dropped their second game in the Regional Tournament to the second seed Michigan. The 13 inning game lasted a little over four hours before Michigan broke it open in the top of the 13th. The final score of the marathon game was 6-4.

The Bulls started the scoring early, getting ahead 1-0 in the first inning. With one out, Nikki Phillips hit a single into right field. Renee Oursler then singled to center, moving Phillips to third. Courtney Lewellen then drove Phillips in, giving the Bulls a lead.

Michigan came back scoring a run in each of the third and fourth innings. In the third, the unearned run scored on a single by Melissa Taylor. In the fourth, Monica Schock hit a homer all over the right field fence.

In the fifth, the Bulls tied up the score on a two out double by Phillips, and another clutch double from Oursler.

The game remained scoreless for the next seven innings, with a pitchers duel between both Jessi Kowal and Jamie Peterka giving a great showing for the Bulls. Marie Barda threw the later innings for Michigan, and shut down the USF offense.

There were several big plays by the USF defense that allowed them to stay in the game. Catcher, Priscilla Smith successfully picked off a runner at second with no one out. Second baseman, Cindy Turek, made an outstanding tag on the play.

There were several foul outs in the contest, including a couple of diving grabs by the Bulls' defense. The Bulls played with everything they had tonight, but could not pull of the win. With the intensity in the USF dugout tonight, they should be well prepared to go through this tournament with the best teams in the nation.

The Bulls will play tomorrow at either noon, or 5:00PM. The Bulls will face one of the three teams left in the tournament, Alabama, Oregon State, or Michigan. If the Bulls can make it through tomorrow, they will be in the Championship round of the tournament, with a chance to go to the College World Series in Oklahoma City.