CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of South Florida softball team (10-8) could not come back despite runners in scoring position in the seventh as the Bulls fell to the Fairfield Stags, 3-2 in the Under Armour Showcase.
Freshman Lindsey Richardson (4-2) earned the start for the Bulls, tossing 4.1 innings while striking out eight but could not contain the Fairfield offense, earning the loss.
In the first inning, the Stags scored two runs on three hits but Richardson got all the Bulls' outs from strikeouts.
Sophomore Candace Howell made her first appearance after her emergency appendix surgery a couple of weeks ago. She hurled 2.2 innings, allowing one hit, no runs and striking out one.
Sophomore Janine Richardson, who led the Bulls with two hits, singled home Kafalas on a single through the right side to give the Bulls their first run of the game in the fifth inning and cut Fairfield's lead to 3-1.
Senior Alison Savarese tripled to right field to lead off the Bulls' sixth. The next batter, JoJo Medina, walked and pinch runner Becky Frye stole second with nobody out, but the Bulls could not capitalize on the opportunity.
In the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Melissa Rosas trotted to first on four straight balls. Kafalas singled for her second hit of the day. A delayed double steal by Rosas and Kafalas put both runners in scoring position. Rosas scored on a ball hit to Fairfield's third baseman to cut the Stags lead to 3-2. USF was unable to score Kafalas on third, falling to Fairfield, 3-2.
