TAMPA (Feb. 9, 2018) – Junior Samantha Worrell (Oviedo, Fla.) went 3-for-3 with three RBI to give USF crucial runs against Georgia State in a 5-4 victory on the first day of the USF Wilson DeMarini tournament Friday night.

The Bulls held the 1-0 advantage after the first inning, when Worrell singled up the middle for an RBI, scoring redshirt freshman Brooke Leistl (Valrico, Fla.). In the top of the third, Georgia State's Ivie Drake hit a two-run rocket to put the Panthers in the lead, 2-1.

Hot Bulls bats highlighted the bottom of the third inning, where a trio of singles and a double would send Amber Atkinson (Citrus, Fla.), Astin Donovan (Guilford, Conn.) and Leistl home, giving USF a lead it would build on in the fifth inning to seal the win. 

Worrell's third RBI would make the true difference in the game as Georgia State tried to stage a comeback in the top of the seventh. A single and a wild pitch put a runner on second, which later scored with two outs on the board. Senior JoJo McGill was able to hold off the Panthers and was credited with the save as she helped preserve USF's lead in two innings of work with two strikeouts.    

Senior Hannah Parker (Altoona, Iowa) went 1.1 innings with two strikeouts to earn the win for USF.

Quotable
Head Coach Ken Eriksen on the team's performance...
Key Stats

5. - All five of USF's runs came with two outs

Notable

• Ken Eriksen is now just two wins away from No. 900 in his career. This is Eriksen's 22^nd season as head coach of the program.
• Donovan and Leistl accounted for four of the Bulls' five runs, and both had at least one stolen base

Up Next 
The Bulls continue the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament this weekend at USF Softball Stadium.


The Bulls play a pair of games Saturday against No. 18 Michigan (3:45 p.m.) and UAB (8:30 p.m.). USF finishes up the weekend with a game against No. 2 Florida on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. View the full tournament schedule HERE (PDF). Purchase single game tickets HERE. 

Fans can purchase season tickets for only $65 at USFBullsTix.com or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. 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.