Congratulations, Bulls! Read The Oracle’s Spring 2024 Graduation Edition by clicking here.

Softball ends strong, poised for tourney

Before the break, the USF softball team was in the hunt for the regular season C-USA title, but a pair of conference losses took the Bulls out of contention.

When the Bulls traveled to DePaul April 28 for a three-game set, they needed to sweep the series.

A week before that, USF took two of three from Houston setting up a possible title run.

But when USF dropped in game two of a Sunday double header against the Blue Demons, the battle for the title came down to Southern Miss and Louisville. Southern Miss eventually took the regular-season C-USA crown.

USF closed out the season with five non-conference wins.

For the second consecutive year, the Bulls closed out the season with over 50 wins, which has happened only five other times in C-USA history.

No. 17 USF (55-10, 18-5) ended up third in C-USA and will play sixth-seeded East Carolina (46-22-1, 10-14) Thursday in the first round of the C-USA tournament in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Bulls are still looking for their first C-USA tournament title.

USF took two of three from the Pirates earlier in the year in North Carolina. The 2-1 loss in the second game of the series snapped a 17-game winning streak.

Compiled by Thomas Simonetti