GoUSFBulls.com Bulls Take Series Opener at Memphis, 4-2

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Bulls Take Series Opener at Memphis, 4-2
The Bulls tallied one run in four separate innings

MEMPHIS, TENN., APRIL 21, 2017 – The University of South Florida baseball team clubbed 10 hits and claimed it’s third-straight 4-2 victory with Friday’s win over Memphis to begin a three-game set.

The Bulls (31-7, 6-4 American) tallied runs in the first and second innings to give starter Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville, Fla.) a 2-0 lead. USF added to the advantage with a David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) solo shot to left leading off the sixth.

The Tigers (21-18, 3-7 American) threatened in the bottom half of that inning, putting men on first and third with one out. Junior Joe Cavallaro (Venice, Fla.) was brought in, and before he got out of the jam, a wild pitch allowed a run to score. 

Memphis got back another in the eighth with two outs. After putting men on first and third, a soft roller to Andrew Perez (Orlando) was fielded cleanly. But the throw to first took sophomore Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) slightly off the bag, allowing a run to cross home plate.

The Bulls answered with a needed insurance run in the ninth, as Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) singled through the right side to score sophomore Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.). Perez was able to close the door in the ninth. 

Key Stats

·   Borders went 3-for-5 with two RBI, and he is now hitting over .400 over the last 10 games.

·   Villar’s homer in the sixth – that turned out to be the winning run – was his fifth of the year and team-leading 40th RBI.

·   Sophomore catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples) went 2-for-3 with a run and a walk, while Zech went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI.

·   Sanders tossed 5.1 innings, allowed six hits and struck out seven while not issuing a walk. 

·   Cavallaro struck out three in 2.1 and Perez fanned three of the four outs he recorded.

·   Sanders picked up his sixth win of the season and Perez got his sixth save.

 

Notables

·   The Bulls improve to 5-3 on the road and 24-20 all-time against the Tigers. 

·   USF is now 12-6 in games decided by two runs or less this season, have won five-straight games decided by two runs and have won three-straight games by a final of 4-2. 

 

Up Next

The Bulls and Tigers play the middle game tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.