DeLAND, Fla. - The University of South Florida baseball team dropped the Stetson University Hatters 10-8 Tuesday night, in DeLand, improving to 17-18 this season.
Junior Brian Hobbs blasted his first grand slam of the season in the first inning, and two batters later, junior Chris Rey rocketed his own home run, a solo shot, to give USF the 5-0 lead in the first inning.
"It's good to see both of those guys swing the bats," said head coach Lelo Prado. "That's what we have been waiting for all year from both of them."
Stetson, now 15-22, scored one in the fourth before the Bulls added five more in the fifth from five singles and a double. The Hatters struck again in the ninth, picking up five more to draw the final score within two.
Freshman right handed pitcher Matt Stull improved to 3-1 with a six-inning outing, which ties his longest appearance of the season. Stull struck out one, but allowed three runs from six hits in his longest start of his rookie campaign.
Sophomore Shawn Sanford, who earned his seventh save of the season, allowed one hit in his one inning of work.
Junior Brandon Smith drew a one-out walk, senior Joey Angelberger was hit by a pitch, then freshman Ryan Lockwood reached on an error to load the bases for Hobbs. The junior right fielder tattooed the pitch, sending his grand slam over the left field wall, collecting his team-high sixth home run of the season. With two outs, Rey homered to the same spot, over the scoreboard in left field at Conrad Park, his fifth of the year.
Stetson tagged a home run of their own in the fourth to break up the scoreless innings for the Hatters.
In the fifth, again with one out, USF collected six hits from the next seven batters to score five runs and take the 10-1 lead. Rey singled to right then stole second base, in time for freshman Jonathan Koscso to single to left field and pick up his 16th RBI. Junior Addison Maruszak singled to left field, then Smith's base hit to right scored one more for the Bulls. Angelberger collected two RBI with a base hit to center field, then Lockwood drove in USF's final run of the inning with a double to center.
Stetson chipped away at USF's nine-run lead by drawing a pair of walks, then scored both runs off a double to left.
The Hatters attempted to take over the game in the ninth, scoring two runs, then loading the bases with no outs. A single and a sac fly scored three more runs before the Bulls could stop the Hatter bats.
All nine starters, plus junior Mike Consolmagno, who came in for an injured Hobbs in the fifth, had both a hit as well as a strikeout in the non-conference game.
Smith, Angelberger and Lockwood each had doubles while Hobbs and Rey both rocketed home runs. Three Bulls ? Smith (9 games), Angelberger (15) and Rey (12) ? added a multiple-hit game to their USF resume.
Along with Stull and Sanford, senior lefty David Torcise, freshmen Michael Anzivino, Kevin Quackenbush and Stephen Hunt also took the mound for USF. Torcise pitched the seventh, striking out one and giving up no hits. Anzivino made his second appearance of the season, allowing one hit, but striking out one in the eighth. Quackenbush started the ninth, Hunt came in for relief, then, with the bases loaded and no outs, Sanford came in to close the game.
The Bulls continue their six-game stretch on the road on Wednesday night in Daytona Beach. USF will face Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m. before heading to Rutgers for a three-game BIG EAST weekend series.
