Despite the Bulls’ losses in March Madness, spring break had some positives for USF Athletics as baseball and softball earned series victories, while track and field recorded notable performances.

Here’s what you missed from the past week.

Baseball goes on a run

South Florida baseball kicked off the break with two solid wins over Florida Gulf Coast. 

On Tuesday, the Bulls claimed a 4-1 victory, led by senior Matt Brown – who hurled five strong innings, allowing just one earned run.

The following day, the offense erupted in an 11-5 win, with Marcus Brodil going 4-for-5 and scoring three runs. 

The six-run margin of victory marked the Bulls’ largest since March 2022.

On Friday however, reality hit for South Florida in its conference opening game.

The Bulls struggled at the plate, managing only one run in a 3-1 loss to UAB as missed opportunities and weak at-bats were costly.

On Saturday, the Bulls bounced back with a dominant 12-4 win – recording 17 hits, with every player scoring a run. 

Sunday’s game featured a slugfest, with South Florida emerging on top, 9-7, powered by a season-high five home runs. 

The Bulls ended the week 4-1, improving their record to 13-9.

Softball continues hot streak

South Florida softball extended its win streak to 10 games after sweeping Stetson in a doubleheader on Wednesday.

The 9-1 and 8-0 wins saw Payton Dixon and Belle Sardja combine to pitch 11 scoreless innings, leading the Bulls to their third consecutive run-rule win.

USF kept the momentum from the mid-week games as it entered its third conference series over the weekend – against East Carolina.

Alex Wilkes’ helped edge USF past ECU in a 6-5 win on Friday. She hit 4-4 including a three-run homer in the second.

The Pirates bounced back on Saturday, handing the Bulls’ stagnant offense a 4-1 defeat. 

Despite four hits, South Florida left seven runners stranded on base – unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities.

USF rebounded on Sunday in a 5-1 victory, securing its third straight AAC series victory. 

Dixon earned the win, and Sardja recorded the save – allowing only one run to seven strikeouts.

South Florida improved to 28-9 overall and 7-2 in conference play.

Track and field set records

While baseball and softball battled for series wins, track and field had its own highlight.

Sophomore sprinter Markel Jones broke the program record for the 110-meter hurdles on Saturday, with a time of 13.66 seconds. The previous record was 13.88 seconds set in 2022.

USF also saw impressive performances across multiple events, including Madeline Abega’s personal best in the 400-meter hurdles (59.28 seconds), which now ranks seventh in program history. 

In the throws, Vincent Ugwoke moved up to ninth in the men’s all-time hammer throw list with a 52.68m throw, while Annalee Harbison entered the top 10 for women’s with a 54.64m.