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Compiled from school press releasesPublished March 8, 2008
SOUTH FLORIDA
Baseball
Baseball Postponed to 2 p.m. Saturday
TAMPA - The Friday night baseball game between the University of South Florida and Savannah State University has been postponed until 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, due to the weather.
The Bulls and Tigers will play a double-header Saturday, with the second game beginning 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first contest.
The 2 p.m. game can be heard live on USF Press Pass Radio and 1010 Sports, and the second game will be live on Press Pass Radio and tape-delayed on 1010 Sports, following the USF basketball game.
Softball
Bulls Cruise Past Hawks, 5-1
TAMPA - Junior Britta Giddens' three-run double in the bottom of the sixth lifted the University of South Florida (12-8) past Saint Joseph's 5-1 Friday morning as the teams resumed play of the USF Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater
The Bulls' led the Hawks, 2-0, in the top of the fourth when the game was brought to a halt as a result of rainstorms in the Clearwater area on Thursday afternoon.
Both runs came in the third inning as Aya Nakajima led off the third inning with a run off a single and a three-base throwing error from Hawks' pitcher Dani Gonzales. Sophomore shortstop Tara Toscano scored on a single to left field from senior Kit Dunbar.
With a full count, a runner on second, and one out, Gonzales returned to the batter's box for the Hawks on Friday morning.
Saint Joseph's (1-7) got on the board when on a double from Erika Rosenwinkel allowed an unearned run by Dana Bienick to cut the Bulls' lead to one.
Pitcher Capri Catalano came in relief of Courtney Mosch with tow outs and runners on second and third. Mosch picked up her eighth win of the season (8-3) having allowed four hits and one run against 18 batters in four and two-third innings.
The freshman pitcher struck out five of seven batters and recorded her third save of the season
USF put the Hawks away in the sixth as leading hitter Britta Giddens ripped a three-RBI double to left field to bring the Bulls up 5-2. Giddens went 2-3 for the game as she returned to the diamond after a collision at home plate took her out of the game on Thursday.
The Bulls will play their second game of the day against NC State rescheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Friday at the Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater
Game 2
Bulls Top N.C. State in Extra Innings
TAMPA - Pinch hitter Laura Wolf delivered the game winning hit as the Bulls defeated North Carolina State 5-4 in nine innings in the second game of the day at the USF Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater
Wolf's single to right center pushed Tampa native Lauren Rodriguez past home plate to improve to 13-8 for the season.
Down 3-0 at the bottom of the fifth and with two runners on base, freshman pinch hitter Kendall Anderson approached the batter's box to face relief pitcher Lindsay Campana. Anderson 's double down the left line broke the shut out as freshman Kelly McCarver crossed home plate.
Junior Britta Giddens cut the Wolfpack's lead on the next at bat when Kit Dunbar reached first and advanced to second on an error by State's first baseman Lisa Nentwig.
Tara Toscano dove into home beating the throw from NC State's pitcher to tie the game at three that would later force the Bulls into extra innings.
Senior Courtney Mosch, the third USF pitcher to enter the circle, entered the game at the top of the sixth to relieve Kristen Gordon. Mosch allowed only one hit and finished off the game shutting out the Wolfpack in four innings pitched.
Mosch collected her ninth win of the season as the Bulls remain undefeated through the weekend.
USF will get back on the field at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to take on Jacksonville University on day three of the USF Under Armour Invitational.
The Bulls will meet the USA National Team to highlight the invitational at 6:30 p.m. in front of a sold out crowd at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater
Catch 47 will broadcast the game locally starting at 6:30 p.m.
Women's basketball
Shantia Grace Named Second Team All-Conference
HARTFORD , Conn. - University of South Florida women's basketball standout Shantia Grace was named to the All-BIG EAST Conference second team today by a vote of the league's head coaches. The All-Conference team was announced at the annual awards banquet, at the Hartford Hilton Hotel, held in conjunction with the BIG EAST Women's Basketball Tournament.
Grace, who earned the honor for the second consecutive season, leads the team in both scoring and assists per game. The junior guard from Sarasota is averaging 18.6 points and 3.9 assists per contest while helping the Bulls to a 15-14 overall record and a No. 11 seed in this weekend's conference tournament.
Grace was a major factor for the Bulls making the tournament, leading them to two victories in must-win situations in their final two regular season games. She scored 17 points against Pittsburgh on March 1 including the game winning lay-up with five seconds remaining. She followed that up with a 28-point effort in the regular season finale at Marquette on March 3 helping to secure USF's tournament berth.
The Bulls will open the BIG EAST Tournament on Saturday, March 8 at 8 p.m. when they butt heads with the No. 5 seed Syracuse (22-7). That game can be head live in the Tampa Bay area on 1010 Sports WQYK-AM with Garrett Walvoord calling the action. In addition, the contest can also be seen locally on Catch 47 after it is joined in progress following the USF softball team's game against the US National team at 6:30 p.m.
The winner of the USF-Syracuse game will take on No. 3 seed West Virginia (23-6) on Sunday, March 9 at 8 p.m. That game will be televised live on ESPNU.
FLORIDA
Women's basketball
UF WBB Dropped by No. 3 Tennessee in SEC Tournament Quarterfinal, 92-61
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Sha Brooks (Jackson, Tenn.) scored 20 points and Depree Bowden (Palmetto) added 15 but it wasn't enough to quell a pair of significant runs as the Gators lost to third-ranked and second-seeded Tennessee, 92-61, in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Friday.
In front of a crowd of 9,938, an SEC Tournament record for Session 3, the Lady Vols ripped off a 12-1 run late in the first half after Florida was within six points, 32-26, with under seven minutes left to take a 48-33 halftime lead. When the Gators chipped away at the deficit early in the second half and closed within 11 points and then 13, Tennessee (28-2) marched off a devastating 26-4 spree and Florida (18-13) never recovered.
"Any time you lose a ball game, you're obviously disappointed," UF head coach Amanda Butler said. "We got beat by a very, very good team tonight. They are very talented, very deep and very well coached. There were certain aspects of our play that I was proud of, but there were areas where I was disappointed. What's impressive about Tennessee is the talent that they can bring off the bench. It's really hard to counter. Our transition defense was not our best tonight and I thought that was where we really broke down. I was really proud of our rebounding, which was a big turn-around from the first time we played them."
Tennessee wound up with a 45-41 rebounding edge, after the Gators held the lead in the paint for most of the game. Florida, however, shot 32.5 percent (25-77) in the game and committed 17 turnovers that the Lady Vols turned into 24 points. Among UF's 41 rebounds were 20 on the offensive end, but the Gators were unable to convert those only into 11 points.
UF's leading scorer and rebounder, Marshae Dotson (Columbus, Ohio), left the floor after spraining her left knee with 13:51 remaining in the first half and UF down just five. Brooks immediately hit a three-pointer that brought Florida within two points, 14-12, but the Lady Vols outscored the Gators 28-15 over the next 10 minutes, fueled by a 12-1 late during that span and Florida never recovered. Florida missed its first 4 shots before Lonnika Thompson (New Orleans) got a 12-foot jumper to fall and Dotson pulled up for a four-footer in the paint before Brooks nailed a 25-footer from behind the arc to tie the score at 7-all at the 16:28 mark of the opening half. Candace Parker, who finished with a game-high 26 points, sank one free throw, before Brooks followed with a driving lay-up from the left side at the 15:12 mark to give the Gators a 9-8 lead.
UT added another two from the line before a field goal at the end of a 6-0 run to build its lead back to five points. Brooks halted the spree with another deep three-pointer from the left side of the arc, but the Gators committed five consecutive turnovers that the Lady Vols turned into six more quick points and their lead grew to eight, 20-12, with 12:34 remaining. Jennifer Mossor (Orlando) cut the deficit with a trey from the right side to bring UF within five. After four more points from UT, Sharielle Smith (Bradenton) added a three-pointer from the left corner and the Gators closed to six with 11:36 on the clock.
The teams traded buckets and Florida continued to use the three-ball to cut into the deficit, with Bowden canning her third of the period with 6:48 left and the Gators were down, 32-26. That's when UT ripped off a 12-1 run over a three-minute span to assume a 44-27 advantage with 3:37 remaining. Brooks stopped UF's field-goal draught with a three and after two more UT free throws, Mossor canned one from deep with one minute remaining to bring the Gators back to within 13 points, 46-33. UT, however, claimed the final field goal of the Florida seemed to do everything it needed to during the first half except finish its short-range shot, as the Gators hit just 33.3 percent (12-36) and were able to score only nine second-chance points after collecting 10 offensive boards and holding a 20-18 rebounding edge.
The Gators undoing came from its 11 miscues that UT converted into 17 points. Bowden led Florida's offensive efforts with 13 points, hitting 3-of-5 from the three-point arc, where the Gators canned 7-of-13 as a team. UT connected on 54.8 percent from the floor (17-31) and 13-of-15 from the free throw line, as Parker scored 20 points and Shannon Bobbitt added 14 of her points on 7-of-8 free throws for the Lady Vols in the first half.
The Gators now await word of their postseason fate. The NCAA Championship field of 64 teams will be announced on Monday, March 17 beginning at 7 p.m. ET, while the 48-team Women's National Invitation Tournament unveils its field several hours later.
Women's tennis
No. 5 UF Women's Tennis Blanks No. 17 Tennessee, 7-0
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The fifth-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team won its sixth consecutive match and earned its fourth shutout of the season after defeating No. 17 Tennessee, 7-0, on Friday at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
The Gators, who improved to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in Southeastern Conference action, next face their toughest opposition of the season, traveling to Athens, Ga., to play No. 3 Georgia on Sunday afternoon.
For the first time this season, a Gator doubles team lost in dual match competition, however, Florida still won the doubles point after earning wins on courts No. 1 and No. 3. Freshman Julia Cohen then spotted the Gators a 2-0 lead after her impressive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Ghizela Schutte on court No. 1. Sophomore Megan Alexander followed with an equally strong victory against Samantha Orlin, 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 3 spot, before sophomore Csilla Borsanyi provided the clinching decision with her 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over Zsofia Zubor at the No. 2 spot.
Also collecting wins to seal the shutout were Whitney Benik, who topped Jennifer Meredith, 7-5, 6-3, Marrit Boonstra, who downed Connor Vogel, 6-1, 6-2, and Anastasia Revzina, who posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory against Rosalia Alda. "We had great performances all around today," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "Julia and Megan played really, really great tennis. Csilla and Anastasia both had a great second set that helped set the tone for us. They are really understanding how to play in the clutch. We had four tough sets and we played excellent at the end of all of them. This really sets us up for Sunday's match at Georgia." With Friday's victory, Florida improved to a perfect 32-0 all-time against Tennessee, which fell to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in SEC play.
Men's golf
NO. 9 UF MEN'S GOLF IN SEVENTH PLACE AFTER DAY 1 OF SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS COLLEGIATE
LAS VEGAS - Junior All-American Billy Horschel (Grant) carded a 1-under 71 on Friday to lift the ninth-ranked University of Florida men's golf team to seventh place after the first day of play at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Championship in Las Vegas.
The Gators tallied a 5-over total of 293 and sit eight shots back of tournament leader Southern Cal. The No. 7 Trojans were the only team in red figures on Friday with a 3-under 285. Host UNLV is tied with No. 4 UCLA for second place after an even-par 288. No. 1 Georgia and No. 3 Charlotte are in a tie for fourth place after a round of 289 (+1). "I was a little disappointed in the way we played today," UF head coach Buddy Alexander said. "We just have to try to be a little better tomorrow. I believe a lot in these guys, and we can play better."
Cold weather and an early morning frost pushed tee times back one hour. When play began ideal scoring conditions welcomed one of the most premier fields in all of collegiate golf. Horschel's steady play was sparked by a front nine that featured two birdies to no bogeys. He fired a 2-under 34 on the front and closed with a 1-over 37 for a 71 that put him in a tie for sixth place with six other players. Both of Horschel's birdies came on par threes. It marked the junior's team-leading ninth round of the year at or under par.
"He made a couple of birdies early and made a bunch of pars," Alexander said of Horschel's round. Charlotte's Jonas Enander Hedin and UNLV's Matt Kinsinger totaled 4-under 68s as the two sit atop the leaderboard. Team-leading USC had two players with 3-under rounds of 69, including Jamie Lovemark and Matthew Giles. Seven players are within one shot of the lead. Senior Manuel Villegas (Medellin, Colombia) recorded an even-par 72 and is tied for 16th. Villegas opened with a five on the par-4 first hole but answered when he rolled in a birdie two on hole No. 2. The senior got back into red figures with a birdie on the par-4 11th. A bogey four on 17 left him at even par and within four strokes of the lead.
Junior Toby Ragland (Jacksonville), making his first start since the SunTrust Gator Invitational, fired a 2-over 74 to sit in a tie for 28th position. Ragland was even through 14 holes before giving back three shots on three of his last four holes. Senior Tyler Brown (Jacksonville) finished with a 4-over 76 and is in a tie for 43rd place. Brown registered two birdies to four bogeys and a double bogey on the par-3 12th hole. Junior Will Strickler (Charlottesville, Va.), coming off a runner-up finish at the John Hayt Invitational, recorded a 7-over 79 in his first start of the spring season.
Women's track and field
Karsuma Earns NCAA Indoors Berth At Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Freshman Liene Karsuma (Riga, Latvia) leapt her way into the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday night, clearing an automatic-qualifying height of 1.85m/6-0.75 to win the women's high jump at the Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier at Randal Tyson Track Center.
In addition to securing a spot in the women's high jump field at the NCAA Championships, Karsuma tied Maria Galloni's 16-year old school record, and broke her own UF freshman standard, on her second attempt at the height after progressing up from 1.69m/5-6.50 without a miss. She is one of only two freshmen in the nation to achieve the automatic-qualifying height of 1.85m/6-0.75, while her effort increased the total number of overall competitors with automatic marks to seven.
Karsuma is just the third woman in school history to clear a bar at 6-0 or higher, joining Galloni and Krystle Moss. She is the third member of the 10th-ranked UF women's team to automatically qualify for the NCAA meet, joining senior Lakecia Ealey (Albany, Ga.) in the 60m and sophomore Mariam Kevkhishvili (Tbilisi, Georgia) in the shot put.
Junior Willie Perry (Lenoir, N.C.) also improved his NCAA Championships hopes on Friday night with a provisional-qualifying time of 21.05 in the men's 200m, finishing second of the nine competitors at the Arkansas Last Chance Qualifier. The mark, which was a season best for the three-time All-American, moved Perry into the 12th spot on the national descending order list. In 2007, 21 athletes were admitted to the NCAA Championships in the men's 200m, with the cutoff falling at 21.08, which Perry surpassed on Friday night.
Two more Gators will be looking to climb the descending order list on Saturday, as senior Shawneise Williams (Archer) and junior Beau Burroughs (Tampa) will compete in the women's weight throw and men's shot put, respectively, at the Virginia Tech Last Chance in Blacksburg, Va.
SAINT LEO
Baseball
SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY BASEBALL TEAM OPENS SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE PLAY WITH 26-6 WIN AT FLORIDA TECH
Melbourne- The Saint Leo University baseball team (16-6, 1-0 SSC) used a big first inning to pick up a 26-6 win at Florida Tech (15-5-1, 2-2 SSC) in the Lions' 2008 Sunshine State Conference opener Friday in Melbourne, Fla. The win was the sixth straight for Saint Leo.
Several Saint Leo players had a big day at the plate, as the Lions pounded out a season-high 25 hits. Each Saint Leo starter had multiple-hits in the game, and each also registered at least one RBI.
Four Saint Leo players homered, including senior Brandin Daniel (Punta Gorda) who went 3-for-5 with seven RBI, a grand slam, a double and three runs scored. Bobby Munoz (Jr., Tampa) and T.J. Alonzo (Jr., Tampa) both went 3-for-6 and homered, as Alonzo's three-run blast in the seventh was his team-leading 12 th home run of the season.
The Lions got off to a fast start with a nine-run first inning, as Saint Leo sent a total of 13 batters to the plate and totaled eight hits in the inning. After Kyle Hobbs (Jr., Dade City) led off the game with a walk, he stole second base to put himself in scoring position. The Lions then strung together six straight singles and had eight RBI singles in the inning, as all but one player in the lineup registered a hit in the inning.
SLU also plated eight runs in the seventh inning, and five more in the eighth. A three-run double in the seventh from Daniel was followed by Alonzo's three-run shot. Daniel then connected on his grand slam in the eighth before the next batter, Dale Slimick (Jr., Sarasota), rounded out the scoring with a solo shot.
Saint Leo starter Ryan Clark (Sr., Tampa) picked up the win to improve to 2-4 on the season. The lefty went 7.0 innings, striking out seven and allowing five runs on nine hits. Eric Nickolaison (Jr., Spring Hill) and Santi Arencibia (So., Key West) finished off the game, allowing one run on one hit between the two.
The SSC series will conclude tomorrow in Melbourne, as the two teams will square off in a doubleheader beginning at noon.