Series Info and Discussion: Bulls vs WSU

[Brad]

 

[Brad]

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

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No. 22 Bulls and Shockers Timed out In Sunday’s Finale 

USF and Wichita St. had a drop dead time set for 3 p.m. CT; Game lasted nearly four and a half hours
 

WICHITA ST., KS., May 13, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball team and Wichita St. battled for nearly 11 innings and more than four hours, but Sunday’s rubber match ultimately ended in a tie due to time constraints, 9-9.

The Bulls (30-17-1, 12-8 The American) scored in the first a bit unconventionally when Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and David Villar(Pembroke Pines, Fla.) each walked, then advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. A second wild pitch sailed to the backstop, allowing Stunkel Jr. to score.

The Shockers (32-17-1, 7-13-1 The American) responded in a big way with three runs in the bottom half, forcing USF to turn to the bullpen. Sophomore lefty Noah Yager (Davie, Fla.) came on and held Wichita St. scoreless for the next three innings.

The Bulls responded with their own big inning in the second. Loading the bases with no outs, Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) singled through the right, scoring Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) and JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.). Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) singled in the next at-bat to give USF a 4-3 edge before an RBI grounder from Stunkel Jr. made it 5-3.

Villar led off the fifth with a towering homer to deep left center, pushing the Bulls ahead, 6-3. The Shockers finally got to Yager in the bottom half, scoring two runs to make it 6-5. But USF again responded with another big inning in the seventh. Zech led off with a homer to left center, Dietrich followed with a double and Coco Montes (Miami) drove him home to put the Bulls on top, 8-5. 

Wichita St. would not go down quietly. Trailing, 9-5, in the seventh, the hosts scored to make it 9-6. Preseason All-American Alec Bohm hit a two-run homer in the eighth, getting the Shockers within one, 9-8. Then fellow preseason all-conference and All-American Greyson Jenista tied things up with a double two batters later.

Both sides put two runners on in the ninth, but couldn’t capitalize, sending the game into extras. USF again had two runners aboard in the top of the 11^th, when Kyle Phillips (Orlando) and Zech each singled, then advanced into scoring position with one out. But Wichita St. was able to escape, and nearing the drop dead time, the game ended following the conclusion of the top half.

Key Stats

10 – The Bulls tallied 16 hits, the 27^th they had double-digit hits in 2018. USF did so in all four games of the week.

8 – USF had a very balanced offense, as eight of the nine starters in the lineup scored a run.

4 – A day after Stunkel Jr. had a career0best four hits, Phillips did the same, going 4-for-6 with a run. 

6-9 – The Bulls got tremendous production from the bottom of the lineup, as Dutka, Phillips, Zech and Dietrich combined for 12 hit, five runs and five RBI. 

2015 – USF’s last tie was on Feb. 22, 2015 at home against Wagner

Notables

-   Villar’s homer was his 12^th of the season. The Bulls had four doubles and now have 115 this season.

-   Zech and Dutka each had three hits, and the formers home run was his sixth of the season.

Up Next

The Bulls begin the final week of the regular season at FGCU Tuesday at 2 p.m.