TAMPA - More solid pitching and a strong offensive effort was the University of South Florida softball team's strategy for a record-tying night.

Freshman pitcher Sam Greiner tossed her first career complete game - a one-hitter - to send the 22nd-ranked Bulls (26-5 overall) to a 7-1 win over Hartford just before storm clouds could roll into USF Softball Stadium Wednesday night. The victory gave USF its 26th win in 31 tries, tying a school record for the Bulls' best non-conference start.

Greiner looked poised in the circle over seven innings. Just four reached base against the righty, only one advancing past first base as Greiner was in complete control throughout the contest.

Offensively, the Bulls got off to a quick start, scoring two in the first on Kourtney Salvarola's sharp double off the fence in right. Outfielders Gina Kafalas and Ashli Goff reached on a single and walk, respectively, and scored to give USF the early 2-0 lead.

The Hawks responded with a run in the third, scoring from second on an infield error, but Greiner would shut the door the rest of the way, forcing 14 groundouts to keep Hartford off the scoreboard.

The Bulls added an insurance run in the fourth, making use of Kenshyra Jackson's leadoff double. Janine Richardson lifted a one-out sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Jackson easily and giving Greiner a 3-1 cushion.

But the bats weren't done. USF poured on three more in the fifth, sparking a rally with an RBI single to left from Goff. Medina immediately followed with a towering fly to right which bounced off the top of the fence and over for a two-run blast. It was the third Bulls' homer to skip off the top of the fence this year. In the sixth, Mouse polished off the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Greiner cruised in the circle for her seventh win of the season.

Kafalas and Salvarola each collected a pair of hits, as the Bulls pounded out nine base-knocks in the contest. USF was scheduled to play North Texas in the second half of a doubleheader, but rain cancelled the final game of the night.