CLEARWATER, Fla., – The University of South Florida softball team dropped the finale of the USF Tournament on Sunday to BIG EAST foe DePaul, 4-2.

The Bulls' young line up scored in the fifth and sixth, but could not close the gap.

“We just ran out of time. 21 outs weren't enough for us today,” head coach Ken Eriksen said. “I think if we had gone into the eighth then I think we would have been okay.”

USF got a nice outing out of starter Lindsey Richardson who lasted 4.0 innings and allowed just four hits, but two of which were solo home runs. She also walked two and struck out one while picking up the loss.

Brittany Bowles relieved Richardson and gave up a pair of unearned runs in 2.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts before Sara Nevins came on to pitch a perfect seventh.

Laura Fountain led the way offensively for the Bulls, going 2-3 at the dish with an RBI, while Stomi Grzybeck went 1-2 with a walk and two runs scored.

Kourtney Salvarola, Ashli Goff and Stephanie Medina each picked up a hit on the day as well.

Richardson was able to keep DePaul off the scoreboard through the opening three frames, but in the fourth, she hung a pitch to Brittney Yniguez who belted it over the fence in dead center.

The Blue Demons exploded for three more in the top of the fifth including a solo homer to left-center which chased Richardson from the game.

The Bulls responded in the bottom half of the fifth as they got their first two runners on and scored on a double to center by Ashli Goff.

The Bulls continued to chip away in the sixth as they added a second run on a triple to right center by Fountain to cut the DePaul lead to 4-2.

After a 1-2-3 inning by Nevins in the seventh, the Bulls could not close the gap despite a single to left by Salvarola, and fell to their BIG EAST foes, 4-2.

USF will open their brand new home on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. as they host Central Connecticut State as part of the USF Fairfield Inn and Suites Tampa North Tournament.