By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

FEB. 6, 2014, TAMPA – The 2014 USF softball season started with a bang thanks to freshman Ta'coia Williams' homer in the first, but the No. 23 Bulls couldn't avoid the big inning in a 10-3 loss to No. 3 Florida on Thursday night.

The Gators gained the upper hand in the first game of the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament by putting together a seven-run fourth inning and adding three more in the sixth inning to take the rematch of last season's NCAA Gainesville Regional final.

Right-hander Hannah Rogers (1-0) went all seven innings for Florida, striking out six and allowing seven hits with no walks. Williams did the most damage against Rogers, going 2-for-3, with two runs scored, while senior first baseman Stephanie Medina also went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

USF ace Sara Nevins (0-1) was charged with seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings after walking four and striking out a pair of batters.

Williams made her first collegiate at-bat a big one when she drove Rogers' 2-1 pitch over the wall in center field to give the Bulls a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Williams was an all-state performer and a team MVP in each of her four seasons at Palm Beach Gardens High School in West Palm Beach.

Nevins held Florida hitless for the first two innings and worked her way out of trouble in the third despite having to wait out a 25-minute rain delay before the frame was finished. The Gators had runners on first and second when Nevins struck out cleanup hitter Lauren Haeger to end the frame.

Nevins ran into more trouble in the fourth and exited with two outs after Florida scored five runs off the left-hander. Nevins started the frame by hitting consecutive batters and Briana Little tied things up with an RBI single to left-center with one out. Leadoff hitter Kelsey Stewart provided the go-ahead single and Kirsti Merritt followed with a two-run single up the middle before the Gators recorded their second out.

Nevins headed to the dugout after a throwing error resulted in Florida's fifth run and the Gators tacked on two more with Taylor Schwarz's single to center off Sam Greiner. The junior right-hander allowed two earned runs on one hit while walking three before junior Karla Claudio gave up an earned run in the final two innings of her USF debut.

Williams got USF's two-run sixth started with a one-out single, Claudio reached on a fielding error and Medina made Florida pay with an RBI single to right field. Claudio advanced to third and scored the Bulls' final run on a late throw to the plate while Medina was caught in a rundown.

The Bulls won't have to wait long for a chance to bounce back with their second game of the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament against Bethune-Cookman scheduled for 9:05 p.m. Thursday. Stay updated on the action by following the Bulls on Twitter @USFSoftball.