By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, FEB. 8, 2019 – Riley Gore homered in her first at-bat as a Bull, but USF couldn't complete the comeback in a 4-1 loss to No. 7/6 Arizona on Friday night.
 
Gore got the Bulls (1-1) on the scoreboard in the third inning after Arizona (2-0) pulled ahead with three runs in the top of the same frame. Senior Lindsey Devitt (Jacksonville, Fla.) and redshirt sophomore Bethaney Keen (Bradenton, Fla.) produced USF's other two hits against Alyssa Denham, who earned the victory in complete-game fashion.
 
Friday night's game at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational was a matchup between current and former Team USA softball head coaches. Mike Candrea, who guided the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal in the 2004, picked up his 1,565^th win as Arizona's head coach. Ken Eriksen, Team USA's head coach since 2011, has registered 936 victories while leading the Bulls since 1997.
 
Following a 2-1 win over No. 19/14 Michigan earlier Friday, Arizona (2-0) jumped ahead of the Bulls with a three-run third inning.
 
USF got a run back in the bottom of the third with Gore's solo homer to right field in her first at-bat with the Bulls. The junior outfielder from West Palm Beach, Fla., previously hit nine homers in her career at Daytona State College.
 
Arizona extended its lead to 4-1 in the seventh with Jessie Harper's second solo homer of the game. USF came up short in its final-inning rally after Keen hit a leadoff single up the middle.

Nicole Doyle (1-1) struck out five in her second straight start and allowed three runs on three hits in four innings of work. The senior right-hander from Aurora, Ohio tossed 3.2 innings in USF's season-opening win over Illinois State on Thursday night.
 
Quotable: Ken Eriksen on how the Bulls played against No. 7 Airzona and Gore's home run.
Key Stats
11 – Arizona's Alyssa Denham struck out 11 batters and surrendered three hits in seven innings.
3 – The Wildcats took the lead with a three-run third inning.
2 – USF has two homers in two games this season after Riley Gore's solo shot in the third inning Friday night.
 
Notables

• Two big names in Team USA softball history coached against each other Friday night. USF's Ken Eriksen has served as head coach of the U.S. women's national team since 2011. Arizona's Mike Candrea was the head coach of Team USA's 2004 squad that won an Olympic gold medal. Candrea also led the Red, White and Blue to a silver medal in 2008. USF honored Candrea by asking him to throw out of the first pitch Friday night.
• Freshman Brittany Hook (Willow Street, Pa.) got USF out of a jam in the sixth inning by forcing a fly out with runners on second and third in her first collegiate appearance.
• Bethaney Keen has hits in consecutive games after missing the 2018 season with an injury. The redshirt sophomore homered in USF's season-opening win Thursday night.

Up Next
The Bulls continue their run at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational with two games Saturday at USF Softball Stadium.
 
USF starts the day with a matchup against No. 19/14 Michigan at 3:15 p.m., followed by a game against NC State at 8:15 p.m. Purchase tickets HERE and view the complete tournament schedule HERE.
 
About USF Softball
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.