TAMPA, Fla. (April 7, 2007) ? On Saturday afternoon, the University of South Florida baseball team lost,16-5, to West Virginia in a game that saw five home runs, three of which were from the Bulls.
USF drops to 25-10 overall with an 8-4 BIG EAST record while West Virginia improves to 18-10 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
After the Bulls dug themselves an 11-0 hole in the first two innings, USF tried to inch its way back into the game, scoring four runs over the next two innings, but WVU again extended their lead to 11 in the ninth.
Junior Brandin Daniel, sophomore Addison Maruszak and freshman Ryan Soares each sent an offering over the fence in the third game of the BIG EAST series with the Mountaineers. Daniel's was a two-run bomb while Maruszak and Soares each blasted solo shots to left center field.
Senior right handed pitcher Yuri Higgins was charged with the loss, dropping to 4-3 on the season after allowing seven runs from five hits in 1.2 innings.
After watching West Virginia score two in the first and nine in the second inning, USF scored three runs in the second to bring the score to 11-3.
Soares cracked a home run over the left-center field fence, his seventh-career hit, to put the Bulls on the board for the first time of the game. Junior Joey Angelberger followed the bomb with a single down the right field line, his 30th hit of the season. Daniel then sent his two-run homer over the center field fence, the second of the series, his fifth of the season and 14th of his career.
The Mountaineers increased their total to a dozen in the top of the third, taking the nine-run lead, but the Bulls tallied one run from three hits to trail 12-4.
In the bottom half of the frame, USF matched WVU's one-run inning as Maruszak drew a walk then Soares and junior Charles Cleveland each recorded base hits, scoring Maruszak.
Both teams were held scoreless the next four innings, but West Virginia extended their lead to 11 after outscoring the Bulls 4-1 in the final two frames.
Soares and Angelberger were both 2-for-4 in the game while Daniel tallied two RBI and Maruszak scored two runs.
Junior Davis Bilardello made his 15th appearance of the season, allowing five runs from nine hits in 5.0 innings. Freshman Shawn Sanford closed the game for the Bulls, striking out three of his 13 batters and allowing four runs from three hits in 2.1 innings.
The Bulls host Stetson Tuesday, April 10 at 6 p.m. before hitting the road for Pennsylvania. USF will play Villanova April 13-15 at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.
