USF softball is gaining momentum during season’s final stretch
As the USF softball season draws to a close, it seems the team has found some momentum.
The Bulls (30-16, 9-9 AAC) have won six of its last seven games.
In the last nine days, they have won their last two conference series and stunned the then-ranked No.9 Florida Gators on Wednesday.
USF had yet to clinch a conference series prior to their sweep against Memphis on April 7.
Here’s what’s worked for the Bulls during their most recent slate of games.
Related: USF softball’s NCAA regional return could be in jeopardy
Reliable pitching
The Bulls’ pitching has been steady through this stretch.
Freshman pitcher Payton Dixon has been one of the better pitchers in the American Athletic Conference this season. She leads all AAC pitchers with a 1.87 ERA.
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Dixon has pitched 137.4 innings this season and 24.1 since April 5. On Wednesday, she pitched a complete game, throwing 132 pitches against the then-No. 9 Gators (35-9, 10-5 SEC).
Junior Belle Sardja, with six saves, ranks fifth among AAC pitchers. She held Wichita State to 10.3 scoreless innings throughout the three-game series. Sardja also threw a one-hit shutout against the Shockers (19-17, 10-8 AAC) on Saturday.
Alexa Galligiani’s consistent hitting
Sophomore utility Alexa Galligiani has arguably been the Bulls’ most consistent hitter during this stretch.
Galligiani’s on a seven-game hitting streak. She’s also made it on base for the last 18 games straight.
In the last seven games, Galligani has put together two multi-hit performances.
She had two hits against Memphis (4-33, 1-17 AAC) on April 6. On Sunday against Wichita State, she went two for four in her at-bats.
The defense makes timely stellar plays
Bulls coach Ken Eriksen has boasted about his team’s defensive depth since the preseason.
The Shockers were shut out for the third time this season. The Bulls held them to seven hits in 71 at-bats during the series.
Sophomore infielder Kathy Garcia-Soto made a highlight play in USF’s second game against the Shockers to convert a double play.
This was also the case against the Gators. UF had seven hits on 26 at-bats.
The Gators had the bases loaded in the fifth inning when freshman infielder Dania Brooks made a catch in foul territory to retire the side. It helped put the Bulls in a position to secure the upset.
Is there a path to the NCAA tournament?
The Bulls rank 63rd in RPI through games played before Thursday, with three series left in the season.
RPI, or rating percentage index, ranks teams based on their wins and losses and strength of schedule.
The Bulls clinched their Wichita State series on Sunday, so there is still potential for them to climb higher in the standings. The Shockers rank 42nd.
Two weekends later, USF will host Florida Atlantic starting April 26. The Owls rank 40th.
A series win against the Owls could greatly help their chances of earning a large NCAA tournament berth.
The Bulls hit the road to Greenville, North Carolina, to play East Carolina in a three-game series. The first game is on Friday at 5 p.m. It will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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