The East Carolina softball team came up short in its AAC game with South Florida on Friday, falling 6-5 in Tampa, Fla.
Below is a full report from ECU Sports Information.
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Photo credit: (ECU Sports Information photo)
TAMPA, Fla. – Emma Jackson went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI but East Carolina came up short, 6-5, in its series opener with South Florida on Friday evening at USF Softball Stadium.
Kanisha Anderson also went 2-for-5 at the plate for the Pirates (17-11, 4-3 AAC) who had opportunities to put more runs on the board but stranded 12 total runners on base in the game.
South Florida (27-8, 6-1 AAC) committed back-to-back errors in the top of the first but ECU was unable to capitalize on the Bulls’ early miscues, leaving runners at second and third. The Bulls plated two runs in the bottom of the first with an RBI double and later drawing a walk with the bases loaded.
After getting two runners on base in the top of the second, Anderson hit a single to center field to score Anna Sawyer and Jackson stepped up next with a shot to left field to put the Pirates in front 4-2.
The Bulls had an answer with a three-run homer of their own in the bottom of the second to take the momentum and the lead back, 5-4. South Florida added another run in the bottom of the third on a sac fly to extend their lead to 6-4.
Despite going down quickly in the top of the fourth and fifth innings, the Pirates made a final push as Logan Sutton’s sac fly scored Hailey Massaro in the top of the sixth to trim ECU’s run deficit to just one.
The Pirates loaded the bases in the top of the seventh while being down to their last out but ECU was unable to tie or take the lead as the Bulls claimed the series opener.
Taylor Apple (7-5) gave up three hits and five runs in the loss while Jordan Hatch tossed three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief.
Up Next
East Carolina will seek to even the series tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN+.