Sophomore Lindsey Richardson got the start for the Bulls and kept the Bulls in it long enough to win it. Richardson pitched a scoreless 4+ innings allowing just one run on three hits while striking out six and walking three before being replaced by freshman Sara Nevins.

After allowing the inherited runner to score, Nevins kept the Wildcat bats quiet pitching the last 3.0 innings and did not allow a run while striking out four and walking none.

It was not until the fifth inning that the Bulls were able to push across a run, but once they did, the flood gates opened. 

The Bulls used five hits, three coming via the bunt, to hang a five-spot in the top of the fifth including clutch hits by juniors Janine Richardson and Laura Fountain.

Richardson finished the day 2-for-4 at the dish with the big two-RBI double to break things open in the fifth.

Fountain went 2-for-3 and added a pair of RBI in the five-run fifth inning as she ripped a two-out single up the middle to bring home a pair of runners.

After a leadoff walk in to start the bottom of the fifth issued by Richardson, Nevins came in and after striking out the first two batters she faced allowed a runner to score from second as a ball caromed off of Stephanie Medina's glove on a diving play at first to put Bethune-Cookman on the board.

The Bulls got an insurance run on an RBI single by Fountain in the seventh and Nevins closed the door to give USF game one 6-1.

USF and Bethune-Cookman will square off in game two at 4:30 p.m.