PISCATAWAY, N.J. ? After posting an early five-run lead, the University of South Florida (19-18, 7-9 BIG EAST) baseball team beat Rutgers 7-5 Friday night in Piscataway, N.J.
Junior right hander Daniel Thomas earned his first win of the season, dealing six strikeouts in six innings, allowing one run from three hits and walking four batters.
"The coaching staff and I wanted to narrow my pitch count, so to do that, we attacked by throwing the fastball and trying to get ahead in the count," said Thomas, who touched 95 mph three consecutive times late in his appearance. "Every inning, if your control keeps getting better and better, that's when you really start putting it on the pitches. The coaching staff was right and it worked out for us."
Sophomore closer Shawn Sanford started the ninth by allowing a pair of hits, but a sac bunt and a pair of strikeouts secured his ninth save of the season.
Freshman Ryan Lockwood extended his hitting streak to 20 games, collecting a pair of base hits late in the game. In the seventh, he reached on a bunt single, then in the ninth, he sent a long shot to right center field. He then stole second and third base, and scored on a shot to second by junior Brian Hobbs.
Freshman Stephen Hunt, who drew a walk, was hit by a pitch and collected an RBI as the designated hitter in the game, came in for relief in the eighth, striking out all three of his batters faced.
For the third consecutive game, the Bulls allowed an early lead to diminish late in the game. On Tuesday, Stetson scored five in the bottom of the ninth, and on Wednesday, Bethune-Cookman tallied three in the last frame.
Against Rutgers, USF led 6-1, but the Scarlet Knights scored four in the bottom of the seventh to draw the game within one. USF tallied one in the top of the ninth and held RU scoreless over the final two innings to pick up its 19th win of the year.
Leadoff hitter Addison Maruszak scored USF's first run of the game after reaching on an infield single, then scoring on a base hit from Hobbs. In the third, Maruszak and Hobbs each doubled and scored, earning their seventh and eighth two baggers of the season, respectively. The Bulls added one more in the fifth, taking the 4-0 lead as Maruszak and senior Joey Angelberger each had one-out base hits, and Lockwood and Hunt drew walks. In his 16th game of the year, Hunt tallied his 16th RBI.
After holding the Scarlet Knights scoreless through five, Rutgers scored one run from two hits to break up Thomas' shutout.
USF plated two more runs in the seventh after Maruszak reached on an error to lead off the inning. Angelberger and Lockwood followed with hit back-to-back singles and Hobbs grounded out to shortstop to score Maruszak. Hunt was hit by a pitch then junior Chris Rey reached on a fielder's choice that scored USF's sixth run of the game.
Rutgers threatened to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four and bringing the game within one. The four runs came from a pair of hits, two walks and an error.
USF added one more in the ninth, as Lockwood singled, stole two bases then scored on a fielder's choice from Hobbs.
"Like our coaching staff says, it's not about what you do in the beginning, even though it helps out when you win early," added Thomas. "It's all about how you finish the season."
USF and Rutgers take the field at 1 p.m. on Saturday and wrap up the weekend at noon on Sunday. Following the three-game BIG EAST series in New Jersey, USF travels to Boca Raton, Fla., on April 22 to wrap up its six-game stretch on the road. The Bulls and Owls battle at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, then USF returns to Tampa to host Stetson at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23.
