TAMPA, Fla. ? Sophomore Victor Pina and juniors Chris Rey and Brian Hobbs each blasted home runs in the University of South Florida's 14-6 victory over UCF Tuesday night at Red McEwen Field.
Pina's solo shot in the eighth was his first-career bomb, while Rey and Hobbs each blasted two-run shots in the third and seventh innings, respectively.
Sophomore Teddy Kaufman earned his third win of the season, striking out five batters in 6.2 innings. He allowed only three runs from eight hits in his fifth start of the year. Freshman Doug Wagner made his sixth-career appearance, closing out the game aggressively with a pair of strikeouts.
Six Bulls collected at least two hits in the game, led by Rey's 3-for-3 outing. Along with his home run, he had a single, a double, one run scored and four RBI.
USF saw five pitchers on the hill in the third meeting with UCF. After rookies Kyle Eastham and Michael Anzivino each recorded a strikeout in relief of Kaufman, senior David Toricise took the mound for one-third of an inning.
USF took an early five-run lead after collecting three in the first and a pair in the third. UCF scored three in the seventh, but USF countered with four in the bottom of the inning to extend its lead, 9-3. The Knights came up with three more in the eighth, but five runs from the Bulls in the bottom of the eighth ended UCF's momentum.
"When they got it close there in the seventh, we came back with a four and a five spot, that's the reason we won this game," said head Coach Lelo Prado. "Our offense was on tonight."
With one out in the first, freshman Jonathan Koscso singled down the left line then scored when senior Joey Angelberger put a double in the same spot. Hobbs drew a walk and was moved into scoring position as junior Stephen Hunt singled to left field. Rey tallied his first of four RBI in the game with a sac fly to left. Junior Corey Johnson sent a two-out single up the middle to tally USF's third and final run of the inning.
In the third, Hobbs drew his second-consecutive walk then stole both second and third in time for Rey to lift a home run to left center field, putting USF ahead 5-0.
Kaufman held UCF scoreless through six innings until a leadoff home run by the Knights' first baseman broke up UCF's zeros on the scoreboard. The Knights proceeded to score three runs from five hits in the inning.
The Bulls answered with four in the bottom of the seventh to extend their lead, 9-3. Junior Addison Maruszak led off the inning with a single to the left side, and was moved to second as Koscso put down a sac bunt. Angelberger doubled to center to collect his second RBI of the game, his 36th of the season. Hobbs drove in Angelberger with a bomb over the 400-foot centerfield fence. The home run was Hobbs' team-leading seventh of the year. Hunt then stepped to the plate and singled up the middle, quickly followed by a double to left field by Rey, which scored USF's ninth run.
In the eighth, the teams combined for eight runs, as UCF scored three and USF picked up five. Pina rocketed his first-career home run over the left field fence to lead off the inning. Maruszak singled then Angelberger and Hobbs each drew walks to load the bases. Hunt sent a sac fly to left to score one, then Johnson singled through the right side to pick up a pair of RBI.
Freshman Ryan Lockwood, who is riding a 27-game hitting streak, will be rested this week in preparation for the St. John's series May 9-11.
The Bulls will next face Bethune-Cookman University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Red McEwen. USF has the weekend off before hosting UCF on May 6 at 7 p.m., then traveling to St. John's for a three-game BIG EAST series May 9-11. The Bulls wrap up the regular season with a game at Florida on May 13, then hosting Notre Dame May 15-17.
