On a rainy and high-stress Saturday afternoon, USF battled itself, the elements, and trailed by four runs in the American Athletic Conference softball championship game against North Texas.
No problem.
The Bulls overcame all those obstacles and held on for a 5-4 victory to win their first AAC championship in four tries. Let the celebration begin.
They now advance to the NCAA Tournament and will learn their destination and opponent on Sunday night. The Bulls are likely headed to Gainesville to join the host Gators and two other teams in a double-elimination event, although Tallahassee could also be an option.
You could have been forgiven for wondering early on if this latest trip to the AAC final game was going to end in defeat like the first three did.
The Mean Green’s Elizabeth Moffitt launched a solo homer with one out in the first. By the time the top of the second ended, North Texas led 4-0.
The Bulls got two runs back in the fourth, and then things got weird.
USF’s Alex Wilkes led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer that cut the North Texas lead to one run. Josie Foreman walked, and Bulls coach Ken Eriksen sent in pinch-runner Allana Consolazio.
She was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice, and with a strong lightning and thunderstorm headed toward the USF softball field, the umpires called a halt to the game.
It didn’t resume for about 90 minutes.
When play resumed, the ESPN announcers opined that the delay probably sucked all the momentum away from the Bulls.
Wrong.
Camielle Ortiz-Martinez walked, putting runners at first and second. Karhys Pierce doubled to left center, tying the game and sending Ortiz-Martinez to third. She came home on a sacrifice fly by DaNia Brooks, putting USF ahead for the first time with one inning to go.
However, it wasn’t time to exhale yet.
Cierra Simon led off the seventh with a double for North Texas off USF’s Belle Sardja. She advanced no further, however.
The third and final out was the most dramatic of the tournament. UNT’s Madison Conley smoked a line drive off Sardja’s chest, but she recovered and threw to first to get the out and start the celebration.
Sardja was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She was the winning pitcher in both of USF’s victories in this tournament, including 3-1 Friday after East Carolina.
Wilkes, Brooks, Pierce, and Kathy Garcia-Soto were named to the All-Tournament team from USF.