CLEARWATER, Fla. ? The University of South Florida bowed out of the BIG EAST Championships as the Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the Bulls 13-2 in eight innings in the semifinal round of the tournament Friday at Bright House Field.
"Cincinnati hit when they had to hit and pitched when they needed to pitch," said head coach Lelo Prado. "They did the things they had to do to win and we didn't. The two teams that should be playing in the finals are playing in the finals."
Cincinnati will play Louisville at 1 p.m. Saturday in the BIG EAST Championship Final.
Junior Brian Hobbs sent a solo home run, his ninth bomb of the year, over the tiki hut in left field to score USF's only run through the first six innings. In the seventh, junior Chris Rey tripled to right field, then scored after freshman Jonathan Koscso singled through the left side, tallying USF's second and final run.
Koscso was 2-for-3 in the game while six others had one hit apiece - Rey, Hobbs, senior Charles Cleveland, juniors Mike Consolmagno and Addison Maruszak and freshman Stephen Hunt.
Sophomore Shawn Sanford made his second start of the season, but allowed four runs from eight hits to pick up his fifth loss of the year. He struck out three and walked one in his three innings of work. Freshman Michael Anzivino came in to relieve Sanford in the fourth, striking out one and allowing only one hit from the four batters he faced.
After a scoreless first, both teams tallied a run in the second, but Cincinnati went on to score three in the third and one in both the fifth and seventh before USF could score one in the bottom of the seventh. The Bearcats exploded for seven in the eighth to win the game 13-2.
"We are making strides," said Prado after the season-ending loss. "I'm happy for the freshmen because their experience this year is going to help them in the years to come, but I'm disappointed in the way some other guys played. Some of the guys didn't step up like we thought they would and we needed them to do that."
The Bulls end the season 31-27 overall, and say farewell to four seniors ? Joey Angelberger (, Eric Baumann, Charles Cleveland and David Torcise.
End of Season Notes
* USF earned its 22nd career, and second-straight, 30-win season, ending the year with a 31-27 record. Head Coach Lelo Prado was 34-26 in his first season with the Bulls in 2007. USF also completed its 16th career winning season in conference play, compiling a 14-13 in the BIG EAST. The last time USF was above .500 in conference play was in 2005 in C-USA when they posted a 15-14 record.
* Ryan Lockwood is the first freshman to lead the BIG EAST in batting average, posting a .454 in league games. His .415 mark in 47 total games was second in the conference. He also registered a team-high 12 steals, 80 hits and a .493 on base percentage.
* Senior Joey Angelberger and freshman Ryan Lockwood were each selected to the 2008 BIG EAST First Team All-Conference list while junior Addison Maruszak was a second team selection.
* USF earned its first BIG EAST sweep under the direction of head coach Lelo Prado by defeating Notre Dame in the last weekend of the regular season. By winning all three, USF earned the No. 6 seed in the BIG EAST Championship. The Bulls met the Irish in the first round of the tournament, dealing ND their seventh-consecutive loss and fourth in a row to USF.
* Freshman Ryan Lockwood ended the season with a 30-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the country.
* USF spent most of the season leading the country in batters hit by a pitch. The Bulls ended the season with 116 plunks, which led the country as of May 18. USF's total HBP was just nine short of the NCAA record of 125, set by Nevada in 1997.
* USF third baseman Brandon Smith missed the final third of the season after spending 20 days in the hospital in late April and early May, undergoing six surgeries in relation to a blood clot in his shoulder. Smith was in the ICU a good portion of the time, but has now been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery within three to six months.
* Junior starting pitcher Daniel Thomas collected four strikeouts on May 15, increasing his career total to 200 which is 14th in the school's record book for career Ks. He ended the season with 55, and his career mark is at 204.
* Nine Bulls earned 13 BIG EAST weekly honors this season. Freshman Randy Fontanez was the only player to earn Pitcher of the Week. USF's Honor Roll players included Fontanez, Ryan Lockwood (3), Addison Maruszak (2), Joey Angelberger, Stephen Hunt, Shawn Sanford, Chris Rey, Brandon Smith and Daniel Thomas.
