Game Box | Season Stats | BIG EAST Stats Chat Transcript   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E VU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 USF 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 -- 5 10 0 Pitching IP H R ER BB SO W- Fontanez (3-5) 9.0 4 0 0 1 5 L - Streilein (3-3) 6.0 9 5 5 1 4 SV - None -- -- -- -- -- -- Batting Leaders AB R H RBI BB VU- Szczur 4 0 23 0 0 USF - Rockhold 4 2 2 1 0 Up Next: vs. Villanova| April 24| 7 p.m. | Red McEwen Field

TAMPA –  The University of South Florida baseball team continued their success in BIG EAST play on Friday night as they shut out the Villanova Wildcats 5-0.

The Bulls improve to 18-20 on the season and 9-4 in BIG EAST play while Villanova drops to 20-15 overall and 2-11 in the league.

The game was the quickest of the season for the Bulls, played in 1:57, three minutes quicker than the two hour outing by Andrew Barbosa against Cincinnati.

The Bulls got a tremendous outing from their ace, Randy Fontanez, who threw his third complete game of the season and the ninth of his career. Fontanez pitched the distance allowing no runs on just three hits while striking out five and walking one. The shutout was Fontanez' second of the season and the second of his career.

Daniel Rockhold extended his hitting streak to 12 games after collecting a pair of hits on the night, including a two-run homerun in the second inning.

Junior Carlin recorded three hits on the night, his 15th multi-hit game of the season, and his second three-hit performance of the season.

Rockhold got things started for the Bulls in the bottom of the second when he lifted a ball deep to left for his fifth home run of the season. Carlin followed by ripping a double to left-center and would come around to score on a sacrifice fly to left by Alex Mendez.

After the second, both pitchers would settle into a groove.

The Wildcats got a double in the top of the third from Kevin Wager and a single from Matt Szczur, but Fontanez was able to get out of the jam to preserve the 2-0 lead.

The Bulls got their first two aboard in the home half of the third on singles by Chad Taylor and Sam Mende, but were not able to score.

Neither offense was able to get anything going until the bottom of the sixth.

With two outs in the sixth, the USF bats woke up again. Rockhold singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Carlin then singled in Rockhold and advanced to third on a base hit by Todd Brazeal. Brazeal would advance to third, and a double by Alex Mendez would bring home Carlin and Brazeal to give the Bulls the 5-0 lead through six.

Fontanez would shut out the Wildcats the remainder of the way to give the Bulls the 5-0 win.

USF and Villanova will continue their three game set on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Red McEwen Field.

GAME NOTES:
Rockhold extends his hitting streak to 12 games… Carlin's 15th multi-hit game and his second three-hit game of the season… Seven-game hit streak for Carlin… 22nd time with double-digit hits… Fontanez threw his third complete game of the season and the ninth of his career… The shutout was the second of the season for Fontanez.