TAMPA, Fla. (April 22, 2007) ? University of South Florida lost its first three-game series of the season with a 10-5 loss to Rutgers Sunday afternoon at Red McEwen Field in Tampa.
The last time a conference team swept the Bulls was the 2006 Notre Dame series when USF lost 9-6, 10-4 and 10-1 in Tampa.
Freshman right handed starter Matt Quevedo was charged with the loss on Sunday, dropping to 3-2 on the season. Quevedo gave up five runs from five hits in 0.2 innings pitched. Senior right hander Yuri Higgins pitched the bulk of the game, recording five strikeouts while allowing four runs and seven hits in 7.0 innings.
Sophomore Mike Consolmagno was 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored and an RBI. He was one of eight Bulls to record a hit in the game.
The Bulls found themselves down 5-0 after the first frame as USF faced 11 batters, giving up five hits. The Scarlet Knights added another run in the second before USF scored four runs from five hits in the third.
With two outs, senior Ty Taborelli notched USF's first hit of the game in the third inning, a double to left center field. Consolmagno followed with a single that ricocheted off of the Rutgers pitcher's glove, scoring Taborelli and putting USF on the board for the first time. Diaz extended his hitting streak to 24 games with a single up the middle then toured the bases due to consecutive passed balls, one of which Consolmagno scored on.
Junior Dexter Butler continued USF's four-run inning with a base hit to the left side, picking up his 34th RBI of the year as Diaz scored. Sophomore Addison Maruszak pulled a double down the left line to score Butler and decrease the USF deficit to 6-4.
In the top of the fourth, Rutgers added another run, giving the Scarlet Knights a three-run, 7-4, lead.
With no outs in the fourth, USF loaded the bases, but did not bring any Bulls around to score. The Bulls stranded seven runners in Sunday's game and 53 in the past six BIG EAST games.
USF picked up its fifth run of the game in the sixth inning with one hit, one drawn walk and a hbp.
After Taborelli drew a walk, junior catcher Brad Karns singled down the right line and Consolmagno was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Diaz. Diaz sent a sac fly to center field, scoring Taborelli, which was USF's 295th run of the year.
Rutgers tallied its 12th hit of the game in the eighth as the Scarlet Knights scored two more in the eighth and one in the final inning to earn the 10-5 victory.
Sunday's BIG EAST game can be viewed when it re-airs on Monday, April 23 at 9 p.m. on Catch 47, the official cable partner of USF athletics. Jim Louk provided play-by-play and former Major League Baseball All-Star Fred McGriff was the color analyst.
The Bulls travel to Orlando on Tuesday for a 6:30 game against UCF, then hit the road for a three-game BIG EAST series with Louisville April 27-29 in Kentucky.
