TAMPA, FEB. 13, 2016 – Lauren Evans picked the perfect moment to hit her first home run of the season, giving USF its first win of the season over Illinois State Saturday night,.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth and with two outs on the board, Evans launched a deep home run over the left field wall to plate junior Juli Weber from second base and give USF a 2-1 lead.

The lead would stick as freshman Cheyenne Eggens notched a pair of strikeouts and assisted on a groundout in the top of the seventh to secure her first win as a Bull.

In relief, Eggens pitched three innings of two-hit ball, issuing four strikeouts and no walks. Paired with starting pitcher Erica Nunn, the duo accounted for ten strikeouts on the night.

The Redbirds struck first, plating a run in the third on an Allison Spence RBI single. A pair of groundouts put two outs on the board, but two walks issued by Nunn left two on for Spence. Nunn was able to end the inning with a strikeout to limit the damage to just the one run.

The Bulls broke up ISU's no-hit bid back in the bottom of the inning with hits from freshman Sam Worrell and junior Kassie Moeller. Worrell, who hit her first career home run on Friday, singled to left field to bring up sophomore Cassidy Boyle. A 4-6-3 double play erased the pair, but Moeller followed with a single to center to keep the inning alive before being caught stealing.

USF put a runner in scoring position in the fifth with a stand-up double by Nunn. The Redbirds turned their second double play of the day, erasing Nunn and keeping USF off the board.

Nunn, the starting pitcher, had a solid outing, allowing just one run on three hits with six strikeouts in four innings of work.

Sarah Finck pitched a complete game for ISU, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out a pair.

USF wraps up the weekend on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m. when they take on the defending national champion Florida Gators at the USF Softball Stadium.

Game 1: No. 2 Michigan 11, USF 2

Juli Weber went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the first game of USF's doubleheader.

Michigan (3-1) dropped an 8-0, five-inning decision against No. 1 Florida earlier in the day and bounced back quickly with a five-run first inning against the Bulls.

Cleanup hitter Kelsey Susalia collected a career-high 14 homers last season and her first of 2016 was a three-run shot. Alex Sobczak followed with a two-run single to right field with two outs.

Susalia extended the Michigan lead to 6-0 with a two-out RBI single in the top of the second. The Wolverines had a chance at more, but right fielder Mia Fung threw out the second runner trying to score on Susalia's single.

Michigan's Tera Blanco hit a solo home run in the top of the third before the Bulls' bats started to make noise. USF had a chance to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the third during a two-out rally.

Weber (Hegins, Pa.) singled up the middle and runners were on the corners thanks to a bunt single down the first base line by Astin Donovan (Guilford, Conn). Michigan right-hander Megan Betsa's fourth strikeout ended the Bulls' rally with runners on second and third.

Sobczak capped off the scoring for Michigan with a grand slam in the fifth inning. USF ended Betsa's shutout attempt with two outs in the fifth, when Weber launched a two-run homer over the center field wall. Weber now has three homers as a Bull after connecting twice in her sophomore season in 2015.

Sophomore right-hander Susan Wysocki (0-1) made her season debut and was charged with seven earned runs on seven hits in three innings of work. Junior right-hander and Tampa native Emily Gaitan gave up three earned runs on three hits in her second appearance of the season.

- TOM ZEBOLD | USF Senior Writer

Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. Get your season tickets and mini plans HERE. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012.

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