Jackson blasted a no-doubter over the wall in left in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Bulls to a 2-1 victory over UMASS at the USF Softball Stadium.

It was a pitcher's duel from the start, as Sara Nevins carried her streak of 60.2 innings without allowing an earned run into the circle against the Minutewomen, and was opposed by Atlantic 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week Sara Plourde.

Plourde was coming off a no-hitter of FGCU on Sunday, and shut down the Bulls for the first six innings.

In the top of the sixth, UMASS broke the scoreless tie. Cyndil Matthew led off with an infield single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Nevins then hit Quianna Diaz-Patterson, and Katie Bettencourt followed with a single to left to drive home Matthew.

That run snapped Nevins' streak at 65.2 innings.

Sam Greiner came on in relief of Nevins, inheriting a first and second, one-out situation. Greiner got Lyndsey Webster to ground into a force-out at third, then induced a double play off the bat of Kyllie Magill to keep the deficit at one.

USF was down to its final out in the bottom half of the seventh when D'Anna Devine drew a five-pitch walk. Gina Kafalas singled, and both runners moved up on a fielding error by Webster in left. Ashli Goff drew a walk to load the bases, and Stephanie Medina came to the plate with a chance for a walk-off in back-to-back games.

Plourde had Medina quickly down two strikes, but then sailed the next offering into the netting behind home plate. Devine to race in from third and slid in just in front of the tag by catcher Stephanie Mayne.

Medina struck out to end the inning, but the Bulls and Minutewomen headed to extras knotted at one.

Greiner faced some trouble in the top of the eighth, as a walk, an error on Devine at second, and a single loaded the bases for UMASS with just one down.

The Bulls' freshman again came up with a clutch double-play ball, inducing a chop back to the circle from Anna Kelley. Greiner threw home for the force, and the relay from catcher Laura Fountain was in time to get Kelley at first for the double play to end the threat.

That set the stage for Jackson, who worked a two-and-two count against Plourde to lead off the home half of the eighth. Jackson then crushed the next offering over the left field wall for her third homerun of a year, a walk-off shot to give the Bulls the 2-1 victory.

USF (25-5) has now won five straight, and hosts Hartford and North Texas on Wednesday for a doubleheader at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.