|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHU
|
0 |
0 |
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
USF
|
1 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
| Pitching |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| W- Dirocco (5-4) |
8.0 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
| L - Fontanez (3-6) |
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
| SV - Mejia (2) |
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
| Batting Leaders |
|
|
|
|
|
| SHU- Rogers |
|
|
|
|
|
| USF - Rockhold |
|
0
|
|
0
|
|
|
|
Up Next:
vs. Seton Hall | April 28 | 7 p.m. | Tampa, Fla.
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|
|
TAMPA - The University of South Florida baseball team dropped the opening game of the three game set to Seton Hall on Friday night despite a complete game from junior Randy Fontanez.
The game was deadlocked at one heading into the top of the ninth, but Fontanez walked Chris Spagnuolo and hit Frank Esposito to begin the inning. Both came around to score on a two-out single by Will Walsh to break the tie and give the Pirates a two run lead which they would not surrender.
The Bulls (19-24, 10-6) collected just three hits on the night, as both teams combined for a true pitcher's duel. USF got a pair of hits from Daniel Rockhold and a single from Luis Llerena to lead off the game for the Bulls.
Seton Hall (15-22-1, 5-11) won the opening game of a BIG EAST series for just the second time of the season by dropping the Bulls 3-1 on Friday, the first since their opeing BIG EAST series against West Virginia.
The lone USF run came on a sacrifice fly from Stephen Hunt to score Luis Llerena in the first, but the Pirates shut down the Bulls' offense the rest of the way, and got a timely hit in the ninth to win it.
Fontanez (3-6) got the start and went the distance collecting five strikeouts and just one walk while allowing three runs on six hits. The nine innings of work made it the fourth time this season that Fontanez has pitched a complete game, making it the 10th complete game of his career.
Joe Dirocco (5-4) started for Seton Hall, and matched Fontanez inning for inning, as he pitched 8.0 innings and allowed just one run on three hits while striking out seven and walking one.
The starters combined for nine 1-2-3 innings, and allowed a combination of four runs on just nine hits while striking out 12 batters combined.
The Bulls used some small ball in the bottom of the first to take the early lead over the Pirates.
Luis Llerena got the start in the leadoff hole for the Bulls, and executed perfectly. Llerena singled to center and stole second. After a groundout by Ryan Lockwood, Llerena came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Stephen Hunt to right to give USF the early 1-0 lead.
The Pirates got a leadoff triple from Bobby Abreu past the diving glove of Todd Brazeal at first, and would eventually come around to score on a double to right center by Michael Rogers to knot the game at one apiece.
Both pitchers settled in after the third, and both teams remained scoreless until the ninth when the Pirates got their two lead runners on, and got a clutch two-out, two-RBI hit from Walsh to take the 3-1 lead in the final frame.
Benny Mejia came on to pitch the 1-2-3 ninth, earning his second save of the season to help take game one of the series.
The Bulls will look to respond on Saturday night as they take on Seton Hall at 7 p.m. at Red McEwen Field in game two of the three game set.
GAME NOTES:
Fourth complete game of the season for Randy Fontanez, 10th of his career... Second complete game loss of the season for Fontanez... Junior Carlin snapped his 11-game hitting streak on Friday night by going 0-3 on the night... Ryan Lockwood returned to the lineup for the first time since April 3, he had missed that time with a leg injury... The loss marks the second consecutive conference loss at Red McEwen... USF had not lost back-to-back home conference games since April of 2008.
