Adebayo Hits Ninth Home Run in Loss to South Florida

Friday, April 18

Tampa, Fla.

3 PM

University of Memphis

16-29, 4-16

South Florida

35-12-1, 14-5-1

Memphis

South Florida

Photo by: Steven Spehar

Adebayo Hits Ninth Home Run in Loss to South Florida

Apr 18, 2025 | Softball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – Despite taking an early lead on a solo home run by Zoe Adebayo, Memphis (16-29, 4-16 AAC) softball fell to South Florida (35-12-1, 14-5-1 AAC) by a score of 5-3 Friday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Memphis got out to an early lead with a solo home run by Zoe Adebayo in the top of the first inning.
- The home run was Adebayo's ninth of the season.
South Florida ended the second inning with a one-run lead after a two-RBI double by Dania Brooks.
With the chance to tie the game in the fourth inning, Zoe Adebayo was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Faith Brown.
In the following half-inning, Karhys Pierce extended USF's lead with an RBI single to left field, scoring Camille Ortiz-Martinez.
- Ortiz-Martinez had previously reached on a one-out triple.
Another RBI single, this time off the bat of Alex Wilkes, brought a run home for the Bulls in the fifth inning.
- Wilkes later scored after stealing second and scoring on the same play due to two defensive miscues by Memphis.
The Tigers came back with two runs in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to two runs.
- An RBI single by Drue Thomas allowed Ariel Davis to score for the first run of the inning.
- The following batter, Faith Brown, also singled to left field to bring Zoe Adebayo home.
The third inning featured the third and fourth lead changes of the inning.
- Memphis regained the lead with a two-RBI single by Ariel Davis to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Tigers.
- The Bulls ended the inning with a three-run lead after putting up four runs in the bottom half of the frame.
  - Both runs were charged to Payton Dixon as she left runners on first and second before being relieved by Belle Sardja.
After Shelby Durbin reached on a fielding error in the seventh inning, Marley Maness grounded into a double play to end the game.
- Both had entered as pinch hitters in the inning.
Belle Sardja recorded the final six outs to earn the save.

NOTABLES

Lyrical Bennett moves to 5-9 after throwing her seventh complete game of the season in the loss.
Ariel Davis went 1-for-3 at the plate with one run scored.
- Her batting average currently sits at .297, good for fourth on the team.
Arianna Cox-Cole's hitting streak ends at six games after going hitless in three at-bats.
Zoe Adebayo went 1-for-1 with a solo home run and two walks drawn.
- She now has the most home runs in a season since 2011 and sits at sixth in single-season home runs in program history.
Drue Thomas had one hit and one sacrifice in today's contest.
Faith Brown recorded her second RBI of the series, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate.
Memphis' 23 team home runs are the most since 2019 when the Tigers slugged 34 home runs.

UP NEXT
The Tigers close out the series with South Florida at 3:30 p.m. CST tomorrow. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS
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