Bulls’ pitching delivers shutout at FGCU

With her ninth home run of the season, junior Lee Ann Spivey moved into a tie for sixth all-time at USF with 23 for her career. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU

With no outs in the top of the second inning, junior Lee Ann Spivey battled a seven-pitch at-bat before sending a home run over the center-field wall for the first run of the game.

The Bulls’ offense added five more runs while the pitching staff gave up only four hits in their second shutout against the Eagles (20-23, 3-9).

USF earned its 32nd win of the season behind solid production throughout the lineup, with six different players scoring a run for the Bulls.

“That’s us, we don’t have any superstars,” coach Ken Eriksen said. “We’ve got to be able to disperse the ball … we’re that type of team and if we play that way, I think we’ll be all right.”

Sophomore Juli Weber got the scoring rolling in the fourth. Weber reached on a single and scored on a passed ball after groundouts by Spivey and freshman Lauren Evans advanced her to third.

The Bulls added more runs in the fifth after sophomore Kristen Wyckoff (RBI-triple) and Weber (RBI-single) both knocked hits through the gap to score two.

Senior D’Anna Devine and freshman Astin Donovan both scored in the seventh on a throwing error with Weber reaching on a fielder’s choice.

With her ninth home run of the season, Spivey moved into a tie for sixth all-time at USF with 23 for her career.

Spivey has already driven in 11 more runs at this point than she did in all of 2014.

But good offense is nothing without solid pitching, and the Bulls’ were able to deliver.

Redshirt freshman Susan Wysocki threw four scoreless innings and allowed only three hits before senior Karla Claudio and junior Erika Nunn relieved her.

 “To get a win on the road this time of year, I thought it was really good,” Eriksen said. “I think it’s real important that they were able to be comfortable being uncomfortable today.”

The Bulls (32-12, 3-4) now move to 21-2 in midweek games and will look to keep that momentum going as they travel to Gainesville for an in-state rematch against the No. 1 Gators.