TAMPA, Fla. (Tuesday, March 14) ? Three-hit performances by sophomore Dexter Butler and junior Nick Cardieri helped the University South Florida baseball team (8-10) defeat the Army Black Knights (5-8), 8-2, on Tuesday, March 14 at Red McEwen. Scoring eight runs on 14 hits, USF reached a double-digit total in hits for the sixth-consecutive game.

The Bulls combined for 14 hits in the ball game, including 3-for-4 efforts by Butler and Cardieri. Butler drove in two and scored a run while Cardieri notched an RBI and crossed home plate once. Senior Kris Howell drove in two runs with a 2-for-4 outing versus the Black Knights. Center fielder Ty Taborelli increased his season-best hitting streak to nine games (a career-high), going 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. The Tampa, Fla., native also stole a base in the contest ? his first of the season. First baseman Brandin Daniel continued his dominance at the plate, batting 2-for-3 with a run scored versus Army. Daniel has recorded two-or-more hits in each of the last four games.

Junior Yuri Higgins was credited with his second win of the season, allowing one run on three hits while tying a career-high with six strikeouts. The right-hander, in just his second start of the season, faced 22 batters in five innings of action. Ryan Lau, Jim Cassidy, Nick Manganaro and Chase Lirette combined for four innings of relief, giving up one run on five hits and striking out three.

Army's Tyler Stohr suffered the loss, allowing six runs on nine hits in five innings.

USF took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-RBI-single by Howell. With runners on second and third, Howell sent a shot to center field, scoring Taborelli and Maruszak. The Bulls added to their lead on a two-RBI-single by Butler in the bottom of the third. The USF third baseman sent a chopper over the left side of the Army infield, scoring Howell and Joey Angelberger from second and third respectively.

Army cut USF's lead to 4-1 on a single by Cole White through the left side of the Bulls' infield. The single scored Chris Simmons from second.

USF added two runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead to 6-1. With runners on second and third, Braulio Pardo singled to right field, scoring Butler from third. With the next at-bat, Taborelli drove in Cardieri to give USF a four-run lead. The Bulls made it 8-1 with a two-run inning in the bottom of the seventh. Angelberger crossed home plate on a throwing error by hurler Drew Clothier. Later that inning, Cardieri drove in Daniel with a single to left field.

Army scored a run in the top of the ninth however, could not draw the score any closer as the Bulls won their second-straight contest, 8-2.

The win marked the team's fourth in its last five games.

USF will host the UConn Huskies in the team's first-ever BIG EAST series beginning Friday, March 17. First pitch for Game One of the three-game weekend series is scheduled for 7 p.m.