GAME 2:

TAMPA- After an offensively explosion in game one of the day, the University of South Florida softball team could not keep pace with the bats of No. 22 Texas A&M, as the Aggies run-ruled the Bulls 10-2 in five innings.

USF used a run-rule of their own to knock off Buffalo in the first game of the day, but after jumping out to a 2-0 lead over Texas A&M early on, the Aggies took control and dismissed the Bulls in five innings.

The Bulls were able to get runners on base, but could not slow down the Aggie offense enough to stay in it.

Stephanie Medina and Janine Richardson each recorded a pair of hits as Richardson drove in one of the Bulls' runs and scored the other on a Medina RBI single, but that was all the scoring the Bulls would get.

Freshman Sara Nevins did not have her best stuff in the loss as she pitched just 3.0 innings while allowing a season-high seven runs on seven hits, while walking three, the most in a single game for the freshman this season.

The Bulls pitching staff ran into one of the most explosive bats they've seen this season Meagan May drove in four RBI, part of nine on the day, while going 2-2 from the plate with a pair of walks to go along with it.

Despite the lopsided loss, it looked good for the Bulls early on.

Nevins shut down the Aggies 1-2-3 in the first, and the Bulls won the first inning by scoring a pair of runs in the opening frame.

Ashli Goff singled with one out in the inning and stole second before scoring on a two-out RBI single by Richardson to give the Bulls the early 1-0 lead. The next batter was Medina who, in turn, drove in Richardson putting the Bulls up 2-0 over the No. 22 team in the country.

USF could not silence the Aggie bats for long as they exploded for three runs in the third, followed by a four-run fourth and adding three more in the fifth to run-rule the Bulls 10-5 in five innings.

USF will look to rebound with a pair of games on Saturday against Colorado State at 3 p.m. and Oklahoma State at 5:30 p.m. in Clearwater, Fla. as part of the USF The Game Tournament. 

GAME 1:

TAMPA – It was a complete team effort for the University of South Florida softball team (16-13) as they knocked off Buffalo in their first game on Friday.

USF used nine runs on 11 hits in order to knock off the Buffalo Bulls 9-1 in six innings in the opening game of the USF The Game Tournament at the USF Softball Stadium.

Bulls' skipper Ken Eriksen has stressed all season the importance of winning the first inning, and in the 9-1 victory, USF took their coaches call to heart as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first frame and never looked back.

Lindsey Richardson got the start in the circle and pitched well lasting the first 3.0 innings while allowing just one run on four hits while striking out four and walking a pair to take the win.

Brittany Bowles came on in relief and pitched well finishing the final three innings allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out six and walking none.

USF had nine different players collect at least one hit in the winning effort.

Freshman Ashli Goff kept the hot bat going in game one of the weekend by going 2-3 from the plate with three runs scored, while Janine Richardson got her first start of the season at catcher and scattered two hits in three at-bats with a run scored and one run driven in.

The offense got going after Richardson got Buffalo to go down in order in the first.

A pair of hit-by-pitches and a walk loaded the bases loaded the bases for the Bulls in the opening frame, and a passed ball allowed Ashli Goff to score the first run of the game for either team.

USF added a second run in the bottom of the third as Kourtney Salvarola came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Laura Fountain.

After the Buffalo Bulls got on the board in the top of the fourth, USF responded in their half of the inning.

A pair of triples by Alexis Nowell and Salvarola helped the Bulls push across two runs to extend the lead to 4-1 through four.

Both teams remained quiet until the bottom of the sixth, when the Bulls bats exploded for five runs on five hits including a walk-off RBI single by Kelly McCarver which run-ruled Buffalo 9-1.

USF will get right back to action with a first-pitch at 5:30 p.m. against the No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies in their second game of the USF The Game Tournament.