TAMPA ― Ten months ago, the conference portion of the USF softball team’s 2018 season ended against Tulsa with a thud. On Friday, the ’19 Bulls opened league play against the Golden Hurricane with a thwack.
Senior catcher Macy Cook’s walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth lifted USF (23-12, 1-0) to a 4-0 triumph in both teams’ American Athletic Conference opener. The victory partially atoned for Tulsa’s 4-1 victory against the Bulls in last May’s league tournament final.
Cook, who has five homers this season, sent a 2-2 pitch from Golden Hurricane ace Kassidy Scott (5-2) over the left field fence. Meghan Sheehan and Lindsey Devitt hit consecutive one-out singles, and Bethaney Keen reached on an error, to set up Cook’s blast.
“We have a runner at third base that has some speed,” Bulls coach Ken Eriksen said. “So we talked about just trying to make it like almost a pepper play, where you just bounce it and go. (Cook) bounced it, except the bounce was 230 feet farther than I thought the bounce was gonna be.”
Sophomore right-hander Georgina Corrick (12-1) went the distance for USF, scattering five hits, striking out 16 and walking none.
Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.