CLEARWATER -  Sophomore shortstop Kourtney Salvarola reached the plate against Illinois State twice following intentional walks to Bulls' sophomore cleanup hitter Stephanie Medina. Twice, she made the Redbirds pay.

Salvarola collected a pair of RBI, including the game-tying RBI in the top of the seventh as the University of South Florida (9-2 overall, 0-0 BIG EAST) scored four times in the final inning to rally to a 6-3 win past Illinois State (7-6, 0-0 Missouri Valley) Saturday at the Eddie C. Moore Complex. 

After picking up just their second loss of the season earlier in the day, the Bulls continued to show patience at the plate, with dividends finally paying out in the four-run seventh.

"To come out and play the way we did against Illinois State says a lot about our team," head coach Ken Eriksen said. "We stayed the course and had some good at bats today."

Down one in the seventh USF loaded the bases on Medina's second intentional walk, Salvarola's one-out grounder scooted under the mitt of Redbirds' shortstop Sara Bradley, scoring two and giving the Bulls their second seventh-inning comeback of the season. Junior designated player and team RBI leader Kenshyra Jackson added two insurance runs, pounding an inside fastball to the left-center field fence for a double.

"Kourtney took the pressure off so I could just relax and hit," Jackson said.

It would be all the help Sara Nevins needed. The sophomore pitcher capped off a four-and-one-third-inning relief stint with three straight outs in the seventh, collecting the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. Nevins struck out nine, allowing just two hits in relief.

The Bulls continued to be a team that strikes early, this time taking advantage of a one-out walk in the first inning. Medina's single up the middle scored sophomore outfielder Ashli Goff from second, breaking the scoreless tie.

Illinois State responded in the second with a pair of runs, one earned as the Redbirds took advantage of a pair of walks and an error to take a 2-1 lead.

USF threatened in the third as senior outfielder Gina Kafalas led off with a bunt single and advanced to around to third. With two out Illinois State elected not to give Medina another RBI chance, intentionally walking the lefty  to face Salvarola. On a 1-2 pitch, Salvarola drove a breaking ball into shallow left-center field, driving home Kafalas to tie the game at two.

"All I was trying to do was hit the ball hard and make them make the play," Salvarola said. "I ended up blooping it over the shortstop's head, but it got the job done."

Kafalas went 3-4 and scored two runs, including the game-tying run in the seventh, and six Bulls recorded at least one hit. Salvarola and Jackson each posted two RBI.