Box Score TAMPA, Fla. ---- Samford Softball capped its day at the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament by facing the host team, 12th-ranked USF.  The Bulldogs played a close game with one of the country's premiere programs, though timely hitting by the Bulls and their nationally-renowned bullpen ultimately made the difference in the 3-0 defeat.
 
Samford (2-1) earned its first loss of the season but threatened to score multiple times throughout the game.  Caroline Seay, Megan Dowdy and Kayla Shaffer each recorded a hit in the loss, including a gutsy bunt single by Seay late in the game.  Shelby Scott (0-1) got her first start of the season, pitching 4.0 innings with five hits and three earned runs in the loss.  Misha Aldridge entered in relief in the bottom of the fifth and retired six-straight batters.
 
#12 USF (3-0) is still undefeated on the young season as freshman lefty Erica Nunn (1-0) got her first career start and win, throwing 4.0 shutout innings with seven strikeouts.  At the plate, the Bulls were led by Stephanie Medina, who went 2-3 including an RBI bunt single in the first.
 
In the bottom of the first, Kourtney Salvarola was hit by a pitch to lead off and was then sacrificed over to second base.  She advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home off a bunt single by Medina.  After a foul out, Medina moved into scoring position off another wild pitch but Scott would freeze Lee Ann Spivey at the plate as she was called looking at a strikeout to end the inning with the Bulldogs down one.
 
Samford earned its first hit of the game in the top of the third as Kayla Shaffer knocked a two-out single into center field.  The speedy senior stole second base as the potential tying run but Nunn threw her sixth strikeout of the game to leave Shaffer stranded and retire the side.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, USF's Lee Ann Spivey would hit a leadoff double and, following a popup, would be driven home by Morgan Litchfield's RBI single to left field as the Bulls went up 2-0.  Consecutive flyouts would limit the damage however as the Bulls could only extend their lead by one.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Salvarola blasted a leadoff home run to push the Bulls' lead to 3-0, which ended the day for Scott on the mound.  Misha Aldridge entered to pitch and put down the USF batters 1-2-3 to end the inning and keep Samford in the game.
 
Caroline Seay led off the top of the sixth, pinch-hitting for Madison Dickey, and reached first off a bunt single.  She advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third off a groundout.  Consecutive groundouts to third base kept her 60 feet away however, as the Bulldogs were shut out in the top of the sixth.
 
Aldridge recorded another hitless inning in the bottom of the sixth, retiring the side in order as the Bulldogs headed into the top of the seventh needing to overcome a three-run deficit to stay alive.  Samford got a bat on the ball all three times but were put out in order to end the game as USF earned the 3-0 victory.
 
Samford closes out competition in Tampa tomorrow morning as they face #15 Michigan (2-1) at 9 a.m. ET.