Wilson Tourney Central | Box Score: FGCU 3, USF 1 | Bulls Tame Wildcats Early on Saturday | Bulls Win Two on Friday | 08 Season Stats

TAMPA -- The University of South Florida softball team suffered its first loss of the season when it dropped the second contest, 3-1, to Florida Gulf Coast on day two of the USF Wilson Tournament.

Junior Cristi Ecks recorded seven strikeouts and allowed four hits in the losing effort.

“Cristi had a great performance. She had two bad pitches and that's it,” USF head coach Ken Eriksen said. “She's the kind of player that can bounce back and keep us in the game, we just came up short.”

Ecks was making her first appearance of the season after an impressive two-game performance from senior pitcher Courtney Mosch on Friday.

The Eagles struck first with a homerun from junior shortstop Cheyenne Jenks that scored Jessica Paez to make the score 2-0 in the bottom half of the first.

USF responded with hits from Alison Savarese and Aya Nakajima but the Bulls were unable to capitalize on the offensive surge in the opening frame.

In the home half of the third, the Eagles threatened with runners in scoring position but Ecks was able to get out of the jam by shutting down Jenks to end the inning.

Ecks kept the Bulls in the game, but USF's offense was unable to capatilzie

Sophomore JoJo Medina blasted a homerun of to lead off the sixth inning, but the Bulls were unable to build a rally off Medina's second homerun in as many days.

“We played an aggressive game, it just wasn't meant to be,” Eriksen said of his team's performance. “I like where we're going and where this team is headed. I'm excited to see this team develop through the season.”

The Bulls will close out the 2008 USF Wilson Tournament against the University of Florida at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

You can catch the final three games of the USF Wilson Tournament through streaming video live on USF Press Pass.