TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2006) ? The University of South Florida softball team overcame two deficits and made a seventh-inning comeback to defeat Hofstra, 7-5, in the championship game of the Wilson Invitational at the USF Softball Field.

Losing 5-3 to Hofsta, the Bulls entered the top of the seventh with little time to tie or claim the lead. USF got to work early in the order, loading up the bases with no outs. Tiffany Stewart came up to bat and hit a fly ball to the outfield, but the center fielder dropped the ball, allowing a run to score, 5-4. After two USF players struck out to put two outs on the board, senior Christie Chapman, with a 2-and-2 count, hit a double down the left-field line, scoring three runs to give USF a 7-5 lead.

The Bulls (7-4) had trailed the Pride since the bottom of the first inning, being held scoreless thanks to solid pitching from Kayleigh Lotti (2-1).

USF made its first comeback in the top of the sixth inning when it was losing 3-0. Lotti, who stifled USF batters the entire game up to this point, started to falter, as the Bulls loaded up the bases with no outs. Freshman JoJo Medina came up to bat and hit a double to right field, bringing all the runners home to tie the game, 3-3, in the sixth.

Back in the game entering the bottom of the sixth inning, USF made a mistake and Hofstra (4-1) took advantage, reclaiming the lead, 5-3, thanks to a Bull error. The bases were loaded and two outs were on the board when USF gave the Pride the advantage.

But USF would not go quietly and tallied its first come-from-behind win of the year, thanks to Chapman's go-ahead, three-RBI double.

Starter Cristi Ecks (3-2) closed out the bottom of the seventh and sealed the deal as USF extended its win streak to five games and won the tournament.

The Bulls will return to action Friday through Sunday when they host the Louisville Slugger Invitational at the USF Softball Field.