GoUSFBulls.com Bulls Prevail in Series Finale at Tulane

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Web Link: bit.ly2oM3aYW

 

Bulls Prevail in Series Finale at Tulane

USF tallied 11 hits in the win

 

NEW ORLEANS, APRIL 2, 2017 – The University of South Florida baseball team jumped out to a 5-0 lead and fended off a Tulane rally to win its first American Athletic Conference game of the season in this weekend’s series finale, 7-5. 

After receiving blows and enduring big innings from the Green Wave (12-16, 2-1 AAC) in the first two games, the Bulls (24-5, 1-2 AAC) returned the favor in the third frame. They put up five runs on four hits. Sophomore Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) got on due to a fielding error by the third baseman. Junior Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) bunted Zech to second, but no one was covering third allowing Zech to take an extra base. Before the ball got to the mound, Zech wisely took off for home with a convergence between the pitcher and catcher and scored. 

The Bulls were able to load the bags with one out, then sophomore David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) drove a pitch into the gap in left center, clearing the bases and making it 4-0. Redshirt-junior Andres Leal (Tampa) brought home Villar in the next at bat with a double to right, making it 5-0. 

Starter Peter Strzelecki (Lake Worth, Fla.) was cruising until the fourth, as he retired nine men in a row. But the Green Wave got back into it with four runs in the frame, all with two outs. USF responded in the top half of the fifth thanks to a Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) two-run blast to left field, making it 7-4. Tulane tallied one more in the fifth, but got no closer.  

Key Stats

• Genord’s blast was his sixth of the season and his second-straight two-run homerun.
• Senior Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs.
• Sophomore Coco Montes (Miami) went 2-for-4 as well with a run scored.
• Sophomore closer Andrew Perez (Orlando) logged the final 2.0 innings, didn’t allow a baserunner and struck out three en route to his fourth save.

Notables

• The Bulls mashed double-digit hits for the 18th time this year.
• USF matched its win total from last season with the victory.

 

Up Next

The Bulls return home for the first of six meetings with UCF. First pitch in the three-game series is Friday at 6:30 p.m.

[JoeB]

Huge Win today.  Need to have some momentum going into UCF series.