Baseball April 05, 2008 USF

14 Runs Not Enough For Bulls

Game Two

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Final

USF 1 2 1 0 2 0 0 7 1 0 14

WVU 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 7 3 1 15

Game One

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Final
USF	0	1	5	0	0	0	0	0	2	8
WVU	0	1	1	2	2	1	0	3	x	10

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Despite a grand slam and a three-run home run in the eighth inning, the University of South Florida baseball team lost 15-14 in 10 innings to West Virginia Saturday afternoon in Morgantown.

USF took the early 4-2 lead after three innings, then scored two more in the fifth, which was matched by the Mountaineers. The Bulls tallied seven in the eighth, in what looked to be a seven-run victory for USF, but WVU scored seven of their own to keep the game within reach. USF notched an insurance run in the top of the ninth, but three runs from the Mountaineers sent the game into extra innings. The Bulls were held scoreless in the top of the 10th and WVU scored one to take the 15-14 win.

USF drops to 14-15 overall and 4-7 in the BIG EAST Conference while West Virginia looks to take the top spot in the league with their 24-6 record, 6-2 in the league.

The combined 14-run eighth inning was highlighted by the Bulls' five-batter stretch that saw a three-run homer and a grand slam. With two outs, USF junior Cory Johnson sent his first USF-career home run over the right field wall, then, four batters later, senior Joey Angelberger cracked his first grand slam of the season over the 390-foot center field fence. Both players collected four RBI in the game.

Halfway through the 2008 campaign, USF has recorded 20 home runs, just two shy of the 2007 season total of 22.

The Bulls collected 18 hits for the first time this season, surpassing the 17-hit outing against UCF on April 1.

Juniors Johnson and Brian Hobbs, as well as freshman Ryan Lockwood each collected three hits in the game while Angelberger and juniors Addison Maruszak and Chris Rey all had a pair of hits. Four Bulls ? Maruszak, Rey, Johnson and freshman Jon Koscso - crossed the plate twice and Hobbs scored three times.

In his seventh start, sophomore Matt Quevedo pitched 4.2 innings, striking out three, allowing seven hits and four runs while walking three. Sophomore Shawn Sanford came in to close the game, but gave up four runs from seven hits in 1.2 innings, dropping his pitching record to 4-3 this season.

Maruszak started the game by being hit by a pitch, then Angelberger drew a walk and Lockwood put down a sac bunt in time for junior Brandon Smith to pick up his 21st RBI of the year and give USF the 1-0 lead.

West Virginia matched the run in the bottom of the inning, but USF added two more in the second to go ahead 3-1. In the second, Maruszak, Lockwood and Consolmagno drew walks, Hobbs was hit by a pitch and Johnson singled through the right side to score two runs.

The Mountaineers again scored one run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Bulls added another in the top of the third to take the 4-2 lead. Singles from Rey and Hobbs put runners on the corners for Johnson to drive in his sixth RBI of the year.

In the fifth, USF scored two and the Mountaineers matched, keeping the margin at two.

The eighth saw USF's explosion of offense, with most of the damage happening with two outs. Lockwood led off the inning with a single to left, then WVU sat down back-to-back Bulls. Hobbs drew a walk then Johnson smashed his home run to give USF the 9-4 lead. Junior Mike Consolmagno singled up the middle and Koscso and Maruszak were hit by pitches to load the bases in time for Angelberger's two-out grand slam.

In what looked to be a runaway victory, USF gave up seven runs in the bottom half of the inning to bring the score back to within two.

In the ninth, Hobbs and Johnson each had base hits, then Hobbs scored on a wild pitch from the Mountaineers to give the Bulls the 14-11 lead. West Virginia scored three in the ninth to send the game into extra innings, then scored one in the 10th to get the win.

USF and WVU will conclude the weekend series in Morgantown at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

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