Fourth Inning Costs Tulsa in Series Opening Loss at South Florida

Friday, April 11

Tampa, Fla.

5:30 p.m.

Tulsa

18-22, 6-10

South Florida

31-12-1, 10-5-1

Tulsa

South Florida

Photo by: Joshua Rogers

Fourth Inning Costs Tulsa in Series Opening Loss at South Florida

4/11/2025 8:47:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

TAMPA, Fla. – The Golden Hurricane softball team held a 1-0 lead through the opening three innings, but South Florida took control in the fourth on its way to a 6-1 Friday evening win in the first of a three-game series this weekend at USF Softball Stadium.

Tulsa (18-22, 6-10 The American) dropped its sixth straight game after getting out-hit 6-4 by the Bulls (31-12-1, 10-5-1 The American). South Florida also left six on base compared to three stranded from Tulsa. Neither team committed an error.

Elle Rouse had Tulsa's lone RBI with a two-out single to left in the first inning that scored Annika Dill. Dill ended with two hits on Friday and Maci Cole singled to open the game, extending her hitting streak to 12 games.

Alea Hopkins (2-6) retired the first eight Bulls to open the game before a two-out walk in the third inning. She took the loss on Friday after tossing 3.2 innings and allowing five runs, all earned, on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Abby Hayes faced two batters and Brinly Maples tossed the other 2.1 innings. She walked a pair and gave up two hits and one run.

South Florida got four innings out of starter Payton Dixon, who took the win. She allowed three hits and the one run with a walk and a strikeout. Belle Sardja recorded a three-inning save, her sixth of the season. She held Tulsa to just one hit and struck three out.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Cole opened the game with a single up the middle but was stranded at third. The Hurricane broke through with its only run in the top of the second. Dill drew a leadoff walk. The freshman centerfielder moved to second on a Faith Russell sacrifice bunt. After a second out, Rouse continued her hot hitting with a single to left, scoring Dill to put TU up 1-0.

Hopkins kept the Bulls quiet at the plate until the bottom of the fourth inning, when South Florida flipped the script. A pair of singles helped get runners on the corner with one away. After a stolen base put two in scoring position, the Hurricane got the second out as Hopkins pounced on a ball hit near her and threw home to nab the runner.

The Bulls tied the game with a wild pitch that scored the runner from third, and then South Florida took a 2-1 lead with a single up the middle. Consecutive walks loaded the bases and brought in Hayes for Hopkins. Hayes faced two batters and walked them both, scoring a pair of runs and giving South Florida a 4-1 advantage. Maples stepped in and the first batter she faced singled to center to score the fifth run, but Dill threw out a potential sixth run at the plate.

That sixth run did score, but not until the bottom of the sixth. A one-out walk was issued to a Bull who then moved to second on a groundout. She scored on a single to left as USF went ahead 6-1, which would serve as the final.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Tulsa	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
USF	0	0	0	5	0	1	X	6	6	0

UP NEXT
Tulsa and South Florida will meet again on Saturday for game two of the series in USF Softball Stadium. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT) and will air on ESPN+.