GoUSFBulls.com Cavallaro flirts with no-hitter as USF earns sweep

[Brad]

Cavallaro flirts with no-hitter as USF earns sweep

March 13, 2016
By  USF

TAMPA, Fla. (MARCH 13, 2016) – Pitcher Joe Cavallaro (Venice, Fla.) took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and outfielder Cameron Montgomery (Windermere, Fla.) hit a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth as the University of South Florida baseball team (9-7) topped the Holy Cross Crusaders 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.

 “Joe gave us what we needed today and our first sweep of the season is what we were looking for,” said USF head baseball coach Mark Kingston. “We had some guys that were sick today and Montgomery was one of those guys. When you are willing to play even though you are sick, and you have that kind of toughness to you, the game tends to reward you. (Cameron) getting the big hit there was great to see.”

The contest was moved up from a 1 p.m. start to an 11 a.m. beginning due to inclement weather later in the day.

The Bulls broke the scoreless tie in the third inning when infielder David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hit a two-run home run to right-center field. The home run was the third of the season for the freshman, setting a new team-high for the year.

Cavallaro silenced Holy Cross (3-11) throughout most of the game. The sophomore retired the first seven batters he faced and did not allow a hit until the seventh. That was when outfielder Josh Hassell led off with a walk and scored on the game-tying two-run home run from first baseman Anthony Critelli.

Even at two, USF tried to inch ahead in the seventh but Crusaders reliever Zach Fox left two men on base to end the inning.

Holy Cross also had an opportunity to go ahead in the eighth. Cam O’Neill was hit by a pitch to begin the inning but pinch runner Justin Finan was picked off at second later in the frame. Cavallaro also left another man stranded in scoring position to keep the contest tied.

In the bottom of the eighth, outfielder Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) double to begin the inning, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on the one-out Montgomery single.

Ahead 3-2, reliever Andrew Perez (Orlando, Fla.) entered the game in the ninth and retired all three hitters he faced to claim the series sweep for USF.

The sweep for the Bulls is their first since a taking all three games of a March 2015 set against Cincinnati (March 27-29).

Cavallaro (2-0) receives the win. He fired a career-high 8.0 innings pitched, allowing just two runs on two hits and four walks. The righty also logged eight strikeouts and has compiled 18 strikeouts in the last two starts. Fox (0-1) takes the loss. He yielded the go-ahead run in 1.2 innings of work. Perez also tallied his first career save with two strikeouts.

Infielder Coco Montes (Miami, Fla.), Montgomery, and outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) posted two hits each. Villar ended the game 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs and two walks.

USF returns to action at Stetson on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. The Bulls will also be on the road on Wednesday at North Florida. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Next weekend, USF will welcome Michigan State for a three-game series. The Friday and Saturday contests will be held at 6:30 p.m. The Sunday game begins at 12:00 p.m. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.

The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. Under the guidance of first year head coach Mark Kingston, the Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals last season for the first time in 13 years and USF followed that success with a consensus Top 10 recruiting class. The team returns outfielder Kevin Merrell, who was named an NCBWA Freshmen All-American last season after leading the Bulls in batting average (.346), runs (45), hits (83) and stolen bases (21). Senior catcher Levi Borders and senior outfielder Luke Maglich were both selected to the 2016 Preseason All-Conference Team in the AAC. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 11 NCAA appearances. Follow the baseball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.  

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[Ionbull]

He flirted but couldn't seal the deal; however, the Bulls came back on the rebound!