TAMPA - The University of South Florida softball team (21-27 Overall, 6-11 BIG EAST) failed to defeat the Louisville Cardinals (33-15, 12-5) who are receiving votes in both national polls in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader.
Louisville, who is the second best hitting team in the conference, tallied eight hits to the Bulls' two.
In the second, the Cardinals only pulled away with one run with the bases loaded and nobody out. Bowles was solid as she struck out the next two batters but an RBI single by Vanessa James gave Louisville its first run and the early 1-0 lead.
Sophomore Gina Kafalas led off the fourth with a bunt single. Senior Tara Toscano laid down her 49th career sacrifice bunt to take sole possession of second place on USF's all-time sacrifice hit list, surpassing Shelly Riker. With Kafalas standing on third, the Bulls were unable to drive her in, keeping Louisville's lead at one.
Senior Kristen Gordon entered the game in the fifth inning with two outs for Her league leading 22nd appearance in relief of the season. After a double, followed by a single, Louisville scored its second run.
The Bulls threatened in the sixth with the bases loaded but were unable to put a run across. Sophomore Alexis Nowell stood patient at the plate, drawing a walk followed by a Cat Olnick single up the middle. Kafalas moved both runners into scoring position laying down a bunt in front of home plate. Toscano walked with one out to load the bases but a Richardson and Savarese pop ups failed to put a run on the board.
The Cardinals tacked on another run in the seventh with a bases loaded walk to extend their lead to 4-0.
With two-outs in the seventh, pinch hitter Melissa Rosas earned the Bulls third walk of the game but it was not enough as the Bulls fell 4-0.
Tori Collins (14-4) hurled 7.0 innings to get the win, striking out six and walking three.
Brittany Bowles was credited the loss, tossing 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits. The West Palm Beach, Fla. native struck out four Louisville batters.
