The USF softball team bounced back from a Friday night loss to open the American Athletic Conference season by winning the next two games over UAB.
The Bulls won Saturday’s game 4-3 in a strange fashion. With the game tied in in the bottom of the ninth, USF infielder DaNia Brooks tried to score from third base on a fielder’s choice.
She was initially called out, but the call was reversed after a review. That gave the Bulls are rare walk-off challenge win.
Sunday’s game had no such drama. The Bulls jumped in front early and cruised to a 6-0 win. Payton Dixon pitched the complete-game shutout. She allowed only three hits while improving to 9-3.
USF is 19-8 overall, with games this week against Bryant and Central Michigan on Tuesday March 11. The Bulls are at AAC rival Charlotte for a three-game series starting next Friday.
Lacrosse routs Xavier
The first-year women’s lacrosse team improved to 5-2 with a 20-4 blowout win over Xavier at Corbett Stadium.
The Bulls dominated from the outset, scoring two goals in the first 90 seconds en route to seven goals in the first quarter. By halftime it was 12-3.
🚨 GOAL 🚨
— USF Women's Lacrosse (@USFWLAX) March 9, 2025
Elle Trzaskawka with the first of her career to make it a program record 20 goals!
📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/P8Okt0Q1a6
The 20 goals were a season high for USF, exceeding the previous high of 19 in the inaugural game against Kennesaw State.
Sophomore Sofia Chepenik led the way with four goals and freshman Ava Uphues added three. The Bulls shared the wealth, with four players getting two goals each and five scoring once.
The Bulls are home Tuesday night at 6 p.m. against Bucknell.
USF is getting some respect in the sport. Despite this being its first season, the Bulls are 53rd out of 131 teams in the Lacrosse Reference RPI rankings.
Baseball has frustrating weekend
The BaseBulls had a promising start to the weekend series with Villanova on Friday when Ryan Pruitt hit a walk-off homer to give USF a 3-2 win.
Things went downhill from there, however.
On Saturday, the Bulls were beaten 12-9, but the score doesn’t tell the whole story.
They fell behind 6-0 in the first inning – reminiscent of last week’s disastrous opening inning against UCF. Unlike that game, however, USF battled back and took a 9-7 lead entering the eighth inning.
Villanova, however, scored five times in the eighth and took the lead for good.
Sunday’s series finale was a more pedestrian 8-5 loss. Pitcher Bryce Archie, who also is a quarterback on the football team, started and took the loss after allowing three earned runs in five innings.
He is 0-1.
The Bulls are off until Friday, when they host Maryland in the first of a three-game series.
Football announces staff changes and additions
USF football coach Alex Golesh has announced several staff additions and promotions as he enters his third season at the helm of the Bulls.
Brad Wilson was named to the role of defensive assistant, where he will work with defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and the Bulls' defensive coaches.
Wilson was the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at Indiana State from 2017-24. He served as He was the defensive coordinator at Wayne State from 2012-16.
Hayden Kingston was named assistant quarterbacks coach, Parker Ball assistant offensive line coach, and Justin Stolberg assistant tight ends coach.
Kingston comes to USF after four seasons on the staff at Utah State. Ball played on the offensive line at Tennessee and served on the Vols staff as a graduate assistant last year. Stolberg played quarterback at Mississippi State and comes to USF from South Alabama.
The Bulls also added Jordan Helm as nickels coach/assistant defensive backs coach. Helm played safety at FAU and served on the coaching staff since 2022, last serving as assistant inside linebackers coach.