Spivey’s record home run spurs road win
Coming into the season, senior catcher Lee Ann Spivey needed 13 home runs to break Kourtney Salvarola’s career home run record. Sunday, she did just that, hitting her 13th homer in the second inning of a 5-2 win over Tulsa. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/ADAM MATHIEU
As senior catcher Lee Ann Spivey rounded the bases, another piece of USF history flew over the center field wall.
Spivey’s solo home run in the second inning of USF’s comeback road win over Tulsa on Sunday not only aided USF’s sweep of the Golden Hurricane, but also put her name in the record books with her program-record 37th career homer.
Spivey, who deflected all questions pertaining to the record for much of the season, came into the year needing 13 home runs to break the mark Kourtney Salvarola’s set in 2014.
Spivey’s milestone home run knotted the game up after USF fell behind 1-0 early in the game, but USF’s offense was able to heat up late to pull out a 5-2 win.
Sophomore Astin Donovan tacked on an RBI in the second, but from there it was the strong effort in the circle that allowed the Bulls to keep Tulsa at bay.
Senior Erica Nunn, who earned a win in each of USF’s three games over the weekend, allowed just four hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
Entering the seventh, the Bulls had a narrow 2-1 lead. But a pitching and fielding error by Tulsa allowed junior outfielder Juli Weber to score and put Spivey in scoring position.
With Spivey on third base, senior Mo Santos stepped up and launched her fourth home run of the season to give the Bulls a three-run lead that would hold.
With the win and a UCF loss, USF moved into sole possession of first place in the AAC standings with only one conference loss.
Over the past two months, USF has a conference-best 33-2 record.
The Bulls return home for the regular season finale against UCF to determine seeding in the conference tournament set for May 12-14 in Tulsa, OK.
The rivalry series against UCF kicks off Friday at 4 p.m. at the USF Softball Stadium.
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