Tampa, Fla. (February 11, 2007) ? The University of South Florida baseball team held on for a two-run, 13-11 win over High Point Sunday afternoon, despite the Panthers scoring eight runs in the final two innings at Red McEwen Field.
The High Point Panthers began the scoring for the second-straight game of the series, tallying three runs off of four hits in the first inning.
USF lit up the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning, though, scoring seven runs to take the 7-3 lead in the game.
After sophomore Addison Maruszak was hit by a pitch, senior designated hitter Nick Cardieri singled through the left side, advancing Maruszak to third base. Sophomore catcher Braulio Pardo then singled to left field, recording an RBI. Junior Walter Diaz added a base hit to right center to score Cardieri, then junior Josh LeRoy singled through the right side to score Pardo.
Following a busy offensive inning, the Bulls retired the Panthers as LeRoy caught a fly ball in right field, then turned a double play with Diaz (SS), Maruszak (2B) and junior first baseman Brandin Daniel.
After LeRoy stole second base, senior Ty Taborelli walked to load the bases. As Daniel waited for his pitch, Diaz stole home, scoring the Bulls' go-ahead run. Daniel reached first on a walk, then on a passed ball, Daniel and Taborelli each advanced a base while LeRoy crossed home plate. With two outs Maruszak singled through the right side, tallying two RBI and ending the Bulls' seven-run inning.
In the third, USF junior Charles Cleveland singled to right center and was advanced to third on a Pardo base hit. Diaz cracked a sacrifice fly to score Cleveland, the Bulls' only run of the inning.
Defensively, the top of the fourth was highlighted with two strikeouts by junior right-hander Chris Delaney. The Tampa native had three strikeouts and just one walk in five innings in his first start of the season.
USF scored a pair of runs in the fourth, as Maruszak singled to center field, followed by a Cardieri base hit that advanced Maruszak to third. On a passed ball, Cardieri advanced to second. Cleveland smashed a base hit down the left field line to score both Maruszak and Cardieri.
The Bulls extended their lead 11-3 in the bottom of the sixth as Taborelli reached on a bunt, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from Maruszak.
The Panthers spoiled what looked to be a sure-win for the Bulls by scoring three runs in the eighth and five in the ninth.
USF countered the Panther's eighth-inning attack with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, as sophomore Mike Consolmagno scored after earning a walk to reach the base paths, and scoring on a Daniel base hit. Daniel then crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by junior Dexter Butler.
The Bulls pitching staff entertained 16 batters in the last two innings. Three USF pitchers each faced just three batters, in the Panther assault, including red shirt freshman RHP Daryl Lewis, senior RHP Yuri Higgins and sophomore RHP Matt Wagner. Freshman RHP Shawn Sanford faced seven batters in his season debut.
The Bulls ended the game with a 4-6-3 double play, which included Butler (2B), Diaz (SS) and Daniel (1B).
Delaney (1-0) earned the win while Wagner tallied his first-career save.
Maruszak tallied three RBI, batting 2-for-2 with two runs scored while Cardieri and Taborelli were each 2-for-3, scoring two runs apiece.
USF extends its record to 3-0 after the first series, batting .357 after recording 35 hits in 98 at bats. The Bulls scored 32 runs including six doubles, while registering 27 RBI.
Taborelli leads the team with a .714 batting average while catcher Braulio Pardo is batting .625 with five hits in eight at bats.
The Bulls travel to Jacksonville on Friday, Feb. 16 to play the Dolphins at 12:30 p.m. before returning to Red McEwen Field Friday and Saturday to conclude the three-game in-state series. The first pitch on Saturday is at 6 p.m. and Sunday the teams take the field at 1 p.m.
