Colleges

Bulls can't record third strike

By GREG AUMAN
Published May 13, 2005

TAMPA - One strike from knocking off top-seeded Louisville on Thursday, USF instead lost 5-4 on Courtney Moore's two-run home run in the Conference USA tournament at the USF Softball Complex.

"A four-run lead? It's tough to swallow," coach Ken Eriksen said. "You have to tip your hat to (Moore). She did a hell of a job. That's why she's the (league co-MVP)."

Freshman Bree Spence, the Countryside High graduate who pitched a three-hitter six hours earlier in a 2-1 win against Houston, pitched 22/3 innings of scoreless relief and had a 2-and-2 count on Moore.

Fourth-seeded USF (39-25) needs three wins in two days to reach the final and turns to Spence again today in a 12:30 p.m. losers' bracket game against third-seeded East Carolina.

If USF wins, it plays the winner of the 10 a.m. elimination game between Houston and sixth-seeded Southern Miss at 6:30. The Golden Eagles beat East Carolina 4-1 in Thursday's opener before losing 1-0 to DePaul.

"We made our job a little harder," said outfielder Tiffany Stewart, whose two-run home run gave USF a 3-0 lead in the first. "But ECU, we beat them earlier (this season). There's no one here we haven't beaten.

Eriksen said 40 wins should assure the Bulls of their third trip to the NCAA Tournament. USF got No.39 against Houston, breaking a 1-1 tie in the seventh without hitting the ball out of the infield.

Samantha Ray led off with an infield single and stole second. She scored when Carmela Liwag hit a chopper that caromed off the first baseman's glove into foul territory. A collision at first base allowed the throw there to get away, and Ray beat the throw home.

Louisville and DePaul meet in a semifinal at 4.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In the longest game in ACC tournament history, Virginia Tech upset second-seeded Florida State 3-2 in 14 innings. Freshman Angela Tincher earned the win with 122/3 scoreless innings and a tournament-record 21 strikeouts.

The Seminoles face Maryland, which lost 5-4 to Virginia, at 1:30 p.m. today. If they win, they take on N.C. State, which lost 1-0 to Georgia Tech, at 7:30 tonight. The Wolfpack beat North Carolina 2-0 in the tournament opener. The seventh-seeded Hokies face Virginia at 11 a.m. today.

Down 2-0, the Seminoles tied it in the seventh. After two walks and a fielder's choice, Natasha Jacob's bunt single loaded the bases. Veronica Wootson followed with a fly ball to centerfield. Whitney Buckmon easily scored from third, and Kim Hoffer scored from second after the relay was bobbled by first baseman Stephanie Savre.

But Kelly Brown led off the 14th with a double to left for the Hokies. She went to third on a bunt by Caitlin Murphy. Alisia Narodowski and Megan Evans walked to load the bases, and Stephanie Savre's single scored Brown.

Tincher then retired the Seminoles in order for the win.

Casey Hunter went all the way for FSU (33-25), allowing eight hits and striking out 19.

- TIMES WIRES

GAINESVILLE - When Tennessee was in Gainesville last month, it was in what co-coach Ralph Weekly called the worst offensive slump he had experienced in many years. The Vols lost two of three in that weekend series.

Thursday, they returned with a new mind-set - and pitcher Monica Abbott hitting on all cylinders.

Abbott, one of 10 finalists for USA Softball player of the year, pitched a complete-game three-hitter with seven strikeouts to help the Vols defeat Florida 4-0 in the first round of the SEC tournament.

The Vols opened with a three-run first, which included third basemen Stacie Pestrak overthrowing first and dropping a ball.

"I think that (early lead) was huge because when you come down to Florida, you have to be prepared for a pretty large crowd," Vols co-coach Karen Weekly said. "And when we got out on them early, that probably took the crowd out of it a little bit."

Florida had just two hits in the first six innings, and at one point, Abbott retired 14 straight.

"She's got a good defense behind her, and she puts the ball where she wants to," Gator senior Mandy Schuerman said. "She had a good day. She was on."

Florida (41-20) plays LSU, which lost to Georgia 2-1, at 1:30 p.m. today. If it wins, it faces the loser of today's 5 p.m. game between Auburn and Alabama at 11 a.m. Saturday. Auburn beat South Carolina 8-0, and Alabama beat Mississippi State 5-0.

"We don't really change anything because ... it's just a game-by-game thing," Florida coach Karen Johns said. "We'll put our best lineup out there ... and we'll just focus on that. We're not going to even try and look beyond even the first inning of (today's) game."

- ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times staff writer

[Last modified May 13, 2005, 00:57:16]