Cheyenne Eggens outside the field before practice. Eggens leads the USF softball team in wins and ERA. (RJ Stacey/Toronto Observer)
TAMPA, Fla. – Following elbow surgery, South Florida softball’s Cheyenne Eggens has become an even stronger force on the mound.
After a solid freshman campaign, Eggens is now leading the Bulls in wins and earned run average as a sophmore, while being second on the team in innings pitched.
After her surgery, she was able to re-invent herself and has come back even more dominant.
“I kind of had a re-do,” said Eggens. “I got to restart basically. I got to re-do my mechanics and really fixed any problems I had from before.
“It would really help me a lot.”
Eggens’ early dominance at South Florida isn’t the only thing on her mind as there is an even bigger goal beyond just the collegiate level. But she knows as long as she is here the team is first.
“The number one goal I really have is to make the USA team,” she said. “That’s been my dream since I was a little girl. So as long as I can keep working towards that.
“Even if I don’t, I just want to be the best pitcher I can be for my team. I think the number one goal for us is working together as and being a family no matter what the outcome is.”
The right-hander’s improvements have not gone unnoticed.
Head coach Ken Eriksen explains why he believes the 19-year-old has come on so strong this year.
“Maturity. To start to throw against hitters in situations,” he said, relaxing in the dugout before practice last week. “She understands that she can let batters get themselves out.
“In the past she was trying to throw it right by somebody. You get up here and they can hit velocity so it’s not about how hard you can throw it in crucial situations it’s what you can make the ball do.”
Tatum Christy Named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week
Indianapolis, Ind. -- Youngstown State University freshman Tatum Christy has been the Horizon League Softball Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.
This is the first weekly award of Christy's career, and the second straight week a YSU player has won a league award. Last week, freshman Maddi Lusk won the league's pitcher of the week award.
Last week, Christy led the Penguins to a 3-2 week and batted .727 in five games last week going 8-for-11 with a triple, home run and seven RBIs. She also posted a slugging percentage of 1.182. It marked Christy's first career home run and triple.
The New Franklin, Ohio, native and went 4-for-4 with a triple and a home run and four RBIs in a 6-1 win over Valparaiso on April 1. She also went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in 6-5 loss to the Crusaders on April 2.
Youngstown State returns to action with a doubleheader against Niagara, Wedneday, April 5, at 3 p.m.
Hoover Hits 1st Collegiate HR as Saint Francis Sweeps FDU
Freshman Abby Trahan (Kaplan, La./Kaplan) earned her 11th win of the year and moved to 11-3 with a five-inning effort on Monday. Trahan allowed one run, a leadoff home run in the first inning, but allowed just two baserunners after that, with a walk and a hit batter. The rookie struck out six batters. Senior Ethel Santai (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove Area) entered to start the sixth inning and finished the final two innings, allowing three hits and striking out two batters without allowing a run.
Freshman Taylor Hoover (Phillipsburg, Ohio/Northmont) went three-for-three, including her first career home run, with two runs and two RBI. Norton had two hits, with a homer, and two RBI, while Troxell hit a solo homer. C. McKee drove in two runs, while Cabell and Witthus each drove in one.
Catron Hits 1st Collegiate HR
The Charger softball team's first day in Florida saw it go 1-1 against a pair of good teams from the state of Minnesota.
In the first game, the Chargers scored three times in the first two innings, and held on for a 3-2 win over Minnesota-Duluth. In game two, Hillsdale got outhit by Minnesota State-Mankato 12-3, and fell in a 9-1 decision in five innings.
In the win over UM-D, freshman Sam Catron hit her first career home run, leading off the bottom of the second inning in what turned out to be the game-winning RBI. Her shot cleared the right-center field fence and put Hillsdale on top after each team scored twice in the first inning.
Senior Bekah Kastning was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Kelsey Gockman had a hit and a run batted in.
Freshman Dana Weidinger was impressive, shutting out Duluth over the final six innings of the game. She struck out eight batters while allowing just one walk and four hits.
In game two, the Mavericks scored four times in the second and five times in the third inning to grab a big early lead.
Kastning had a hit and drove in the team's only run. Senior Kyra Rodi made her first collegiate pitching appearance, and struck out two batters in two innings pitched.
Isenberg Hits 1st Collegiate HR in Rout of Siena
Madeira Beach, Fla. – The bats finally came alive for the Robert Morris University softball team as it mercy-ruled Siena, 8-0, in five innings in its second game of the day at the Eastern Michigan University Madeira Beach Invitational Friday night. The win is the first of the season for the Colonials who improve to 1-5 on the year. The Saints slip to 0-2.
Olivia Lorusso and Katie Isenberg both homered while Jordan Gurganus collected three hits and three runs batted in. Lorusso, who is now hitting .467 this season, went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Isenberg was 1-for-2 with a two-run bomb.
In the circle, freshman Madison Riggle earned her first collegiate victory. She allowed just three hits and three walks in five innings of work.
Taryn Miller singled to start off the bottom of the second inning before Isenberg moved her over with a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch put her on third. Walks to Kristin Pray and Taylor Bartlow loaded the bases and Gurganus capitalized by beating out an infield single to make it 1-0.
Lorusso scored in the third inning on a balk before Isenberg's first collegiate homer cleared the left center field fence, plating Briana Bunner and putting RMU up, 4-0. Pray and Bartlow drew walks again and Pray would score when Gurganus doubled to center field.
Lorusso sent her first jack of the season to the left field in the fourth inning to push the margin to 6-0. Ashlee Groover singled to start the frame and eventually advanced to third via a passed ball and wild pitch. Gurganus sliced a ball through the left side to plate Groover. A walk to Stacey Capp was followed by Lorusso pulling a pitch past third base to score Gurganus and end the game.
Siena starter Maddie McMahon was given the loss after she allowed three runs anwalked four in two innings of work.
Eggens Picks Up Win in Relief as USF Rallies to Beat #6 Michigan
TAMPA (Feb. 11, 2017) – Cardiac comeback.
After trailing 3-0 after the first inning, the USF softball team used a four-run sixth to complete a crazy comeback, downing No. 6 Michigan, 6-4.
In the sixth, the Bulls offense kicked into high gear as they plated four runs, highlighted by a two-run bomb from Kassie Moeller. Lauren Evans led off with a single and came around on Moeller’s first career home run.
With two outs and the game tied at 4-all, Kristen Wyckoff began a rally, singling up the middle. The speedy senior stole second and advanced to third on an Astin Donovan single. As always, senior Juli Weber came up clutch, reaching on a hit through the Michigan third baseman’s legs. The resulting error scored two runs, giving the Bulls the 6-4 lead.
Michigan jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. An overthrow by Donovan, led to two runs on a single from Tera Blanco. An RBI groundout from Courtney Richardson scored the third run of the inning, before Evans fielded a grounder for the final out of the inning.
Weber hit her eighth career home run in the bottom of the third inning to put USF in striking distance of the Wolverines. Kristen Wyckoff began the inning with an infield single and moved to third on a stolen base and groundout. Weber’s in-the-park homerun scored Wyckoff and made it a 3-2 game.
The Wolverines would extend their lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Taylor Swearingen.
Cheyenne Eggens pitched an incredible 3.2 innings to pick up her first win of the season. The sophomore allowed just one run on four hits. Kalen McGill picked up the save, throwing one inning of one-hit ball.
Cozy Named Season’s First MAC West Player of the Week
Cleveland, OH – Toledo sophomore
Katie Cozy was named the season's first Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
"Katie is obviously very well-deserving of this honor because of her stellar weekend at the plate," said head coach
Kristen Butler. "She's a very hard worker and she put a lot of time and effort into her game in the off season. She came back ready to go this fall and had a fantastic pre-season. We're definitely looking for Katie to contribute in a big way this season and I'm excited to see what she has in store."
Cozy started four games for UT in last weekend's UNI-Dome Classic. The sophomore third baseman posted a .500 batting average (7-for-14), scored five runs and tallied 18 total bases in the tournament. In Toledo's contest vs. Nebraska- Omaha, Cozy recorded her first career grand slam, a two-run homer and a double to register a 2.200 slugging percentage. The Louisville, OH native also recorded a home run vs. South Dakota State and a double vs. Montana. Cozy tops the team in batting average, runs, home runs, total bases, RBI (7), and slugging percentage (1.286). She is tied for first with seven hits.
Cozy and the Rockets travel to FAU's Strike Out Cancer tournament this weekend in Boca Raton, FL. They will play five games on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 17-19 vs. Tulsa, Syracuse, St. John's, Savannah State and host Florida Atlantic.
NICOLE DOYLE THROWS NO-HITTER IN FIRST COLLEGIATE START
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Freshman pitcher Nicole Doyle threw a no-hitter in her first collegiate start, highlighting a split at the USF Under Armour Showcase on Saturday. Doyle no-hit Hartford in a 5-0 Saluki win, and fellow freshman Brianna Jones threw a gem against a 16-win East Carolina team in the second game as the Salukis (12-8) lost 1-0 to East Carolina.
"What a great way to start your college career," head coach Kerri Blaylock said of Doyle. "Coming off a performance where she wasn't happy with herself, she just threw fantastic today. She had a lot of ball movement and great command. That was a tight ball game until the seventh inning, so I'm really proud how she handled the moment."
Doyle made her second appearance in a Saluki uniform after spending the last eight months recovering from a torn ACL in late June. She allowed five earned runs in a relief appearance last weekend but was absolutely dominant against Hartford (2-15) in her first career start.
She admitted to feeling nervous before the game, but she struck out two Hawks in a perfect first inning and felt in control from there. Doyle credited Blaylock with an early adjustment that kept her rolling through the lineup three times.
"Towards the end, I think they were just guessing," Doyle said.
Hartford hitters went 0-for-21 against Doyle with seven strikeouts. A sixth-inning walk was the only thing that kept her from a perfect game. There was no line score on the scoreboard at Moore Field, and Doyle said she didn't realize she had thrown a no-hitter until Sydney Jones told her after the game. She was predictably humble about the accomplishment after the game.
"I'm just glad that it went well," Doyle said. "Obviously, our offense was the reason we won that game, and the defense had my back."
Shaye Harre and Merri Anne Patterson led the offense. Harre had an RBI single in the first to give Doyle an early lead, and Patterson was robbed at the fence of home runs her first two at-bats before hitting a three-run homer in her final at-bat to set the final score.
"Shaye and Merri Anne had a great days today," Blaylock said. "(Patterson) had three swings at that kid that all could have been home runs, and she finally got the third one over."
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