GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Wednesday, March 29) ? The University of South Florida baseball team (14-12) fell to the No. 15-ranked Florida Gators (18-11), 6-5, on Wednesday, March 29 at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Despite registering 12 hits on the night, the Bulls suffered their first loss in the last six outings, snapping the team's five-game winning streak.

Five USF batters registered multiple hits on the night as the Bulls out-hit the Gators, 18-5. Senior Kris Howell scored two runs, going 3-for-5 versus the Gators while Matt McHargue went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Third baseman Dexter Butler registered three singles, batting 3-for-5. Catcher Braulio Pardo hit his first-career double in a 2-for-3 performance with a run scored during the contest.

Jim Cassidy suffered his first loss of the season, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings of relief. Junior Yuri Higgins made his fourth start of the season, lasting three innings. The Tampa native allowed two runs on two hits while striking out two Gator batters. A total of six pitchers saw action versus Florida. Ryan Lau, Matt Ingram, Nick Manganaro and Chase Lirette combined for four innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits.

UF took a 1-0 lead with a solo home run by Adam Davis. The Gators added a run in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 2-0.

USF scored three runs in the top of the fourth to give the Bulls a 3-2 lead. RBIs by McHargue and Joey Angelberger along with a passed ball by catcher Brian Jeroloman accounted for the Bulls' runs in the fourth.

Florida regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. The score became 5-3 on a solo home run by Brian Leclerc in the bottom of the fifth.

A sacrifice fly by Addison Maruszak cut Florida's lead to 5-4 in the top of the seventh.

After the Gators extended their lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh, USF drew within one run of UF on an RBI-single by Brandin Daniel. However, the Bulls could not get any closer, dropping the one-run contest with the Gators, 6-5.

USF will travel to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats in a three-game BIG EAST series starting Friday, March 31. Game time is 6:30 p.m.


Florida 6, USF 5 (Mar 29, 2006 at Gainesville, Fla.)
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USF................. 000 300 101 - 5 15 1 (14-12)
Florida............. 101 210 10X - 6 8 2 (18-11)
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Pitchers: USF - HIGGINS; CASSIDY(4); LAU(6); INGRAM(7); MANGANARO(7); LIRETTE(8). Florida -
Gawriluk; Hightower(4); Edmondson(4); Hurst(5); O'Day(7).
Win-Edmondson(3-0) Save-O'Day(5) Loss-CASSIDY(2-1) T-3:10 A-4500
HR UF - Davis (5); Leclerc (2).
Gawriluk faced 2 batters in the 4th.
Hightower faced 2 batters in the 4th.
INGRAM faced 1 batter in the 7th.