JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The University of South Florida baseball team lost 4-3 to the University of North Florida Ospreys in 10 innings Wednesday night in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Bulls (12-11) are now 2-1 in extra-inning games this season with a 12-inning, 6-5, victory over Indiana State on Feb. 23 and a 9-8 win over Savannah State in 10 innings on March 9.
After watching the Ospreys score a run in both of the first two innings, USF finally got on the board in the third after junior Joey Angelberger doubled to left, then scored on a sac fly from junior Brandon Smith. The Bulls took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth, but the Ospreys collected two hits in the ninth to tie the game. In the 10th, two wild pitches led the Ospreys to their 13th win.
Sanford, who allowed two hits and one run in the ninth, picked up his first loss of the year, allowing two runs from three hits while striking out three.
Six Bulls collected eight hits as Angelberger and Chris Rey each had doubles and Addison Maruszak, Ryan Lockwood, Smith and Stephen Hunt had singles.
In the fourth, the Ospreys threatened to score, loading the bases with two outs, but freshman Junior Carlin came in to relieve freshman starter Kyle Eastham, ending the inning with a strikeout.
In the sixth, junior Rey doubled down the left line to lead off the inning, collecting his third two-bagger of the year. Junior Trey Manz moved Rey to third, then a sac fly to center field by freshman Hunt scored Rey and tied the game at two.
With a UNF runner on third in the seventh, third baseman Smith made his third diving play of the game to keep the score knotted at two.
After back-to-back singles from Smith and Rey in the eighth, Hunt sent a single through the right side to record his first-career hit and drive in the go-ahead run.
UNF tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, and scored the game-winning run off a wild pitch, with two outs in the 10th.
In his first-career start, Eastham struck out three, but allowed two runs from five hits in 3.2 innings. Carlin struck out two of his six batters in 1.2 IP and freshman Zach Pietrzyk fanned one in his 1.2 innings of work.
The Bulls return to Red McEwen Field for a three-game BIG EAST series with Georgetown this weekend. The Bulls and Hoyas face off at 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, then take the field at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
