TAMPA, Fla. ? University of South Florida freshman outfielder Ryan Lockwood extended his hitting streak to 28 games in the Bulls' 9-5 loss to UCF Tuesday night at Red McEwen Field.
After sitting out a pair of games last week due to injury, Lockwood was 4-for-5 against UCF, extending his hitting streak to 28 with a double to left center field in the first inning. His 28-game stretch is currently the longest active hitting streak in the country. Earlier in the season, Ben Guez from William & Mary posted a 32-game clip, UNC Asheville's Kevin Weidenbacher had a 31-game stretch and Michael Marseco from Samford had a 29-game streak stopped last week.
Against the Knights, Lockwood tallied his 24th multiple-hit game of his rookie season, and his first four-hit outing. He also picked up an RBI and scored a run.
"Lockwood is by far the best player on this team. He contributed to every run that crossed the plate, either directly or indirectly," said USF head coach Lelo Prado. "He's the kind of guy you want up in a pressure situation, he plays consistent from the first inning to the last pitch."
In the first inning, junior Brian Hobbs took the Bulls' 99th plunk of the season, which tied the school record in the category. In the ninth, junior Addison Maruszak took the team's 100th HBP in the middle of the back, re-writing the school record. USF set the record of 99 last season, which eclipsed the old mark of 64, posted in 2005.
Freshman Stephen Hunt was 2-for-3 in the game with two singles, a pair of drawn walks and pitched one strikeout in the ninth inning.
The Bulls took the early 2-0 lead, but the Knights answered with two in the top of the second to tie the game. UCF tacked on three in the sixth, three more in the eighth and one in the ninth to take the 9-5 lead. USF staged a late rally, scoring three runs in the ninth, but came up four short, dropping their 22nd game of the year.
In the first, Maruszak was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning for USF, then Lockwood drove in the junior shortstop with a double to left center. With one out, Hobbs was hit by a pitch and freshman Stephen Hunt drew a walk to load the bases for junior Chris Rey. Rey sent a sac fly to left field to pick up his 32nd RBI of the season and give USF the two-run lead.
UCF scored nine unanswered runs before USF recorded three in the bottom of the ninth.
With one out in the ninth, freshman Jonathan Koscso drew a walk then Maruszak was hit by a pitch. Senior Joey Angelberger drove in both runners with a double down the left line, his only hit of the game. Lockwood ran out a single to the pitcher, which moved Angelberger to third. Hobbs then recorded his 30th RBI of the season, and USF's final run of the game, on a fielder's choice.
With the loss on Tuesday, the Bulls drop to 25-22 this season while UCF improves to 29-21. Freshman lefty Teddy Kaufman was tagged with his second loss of the year, giving up two earned runs from five hits in 5.2 innings.
The Bulls travel to New York this weekend to face St. John's University May 9-11, then battle Florida at Gainesville on May 13 before closing out the regular season against Notre Dame May 15-17 at Red McEwen Field.
