SOUTH BEND, Ind. -   A five run fifth by Notre Dame turned a back and forth battle into a 10-5 Irish win over the University of South Florida baseball team (22-27, 11-12) Saturday afternoon in game 1 of a double header scheduled to be played at Frank Eck Stadium.

Making his fourth consecutive weekend start, LHP Junior Carlin went 4.0 innings, yielding three hits and fanning two but uncharacteristically walked a season high four batters. Carlin threw a season-high 83 pitches as he continues to build up his strength as a starter.

He did not factor in the decision.

Notre Dame took a 2-0 lead in the third on an RBI single by Eric Jagielo and a sacrifice fly by Adam Norton but the advantage would not last for long.

After Alex Mendez was hit by a pitch with one out in the fourth, junior Andrew Longley sent a drive over the wall in left to even the score at two with his fourth homer of the season. The runs scored broke a drought of 21 consecutive scoreless innings for the USF offense.

The following inning an RBI single by Mendez gave USF  its first lead since their mid-week clash against UCF on May 3.

From there a number of lead changes plagued the game with the Bulls coming up on the short end of the exchange.

Reliever Matt Reed could not hold the 3-2 lead as Notre Dame answered with a pair of runs in their half of the fifth, to take a 4-3 lead.

Three straight singles opened the USF sixth with the third being a game-tying RBI single by Junior Carlin.

Later in the inning, after Todd Brazeal and James Ramsay were retired, Daniel Rockhold delivered a two-out, RBI single through the left side to give the Bulls what would prove to be their final lead of the game.

In the sixth, the Fighting Irish executed back to back safety squeezes to tie and retake the lead and then capped off a five run sixth with a three-home run by Trey Mancini, his second homer in as many days against the Bulls, to make it 9-6.

From there the Bulls offense would silence and they were not able to pull any closer, as Notre Dame extended their lead to 10-5 with one in the eighth.

Koscso and Rockhold led the way for the Bulls' 10-hit attack with two hits apiece. It was Koscso's third multi-hit game in four games as the senior has now hit safely in four straight contests.

For the second consecutive straight game the Bulls outhit the Irish but the Bulls left 11 men on base.

In the field, the Bulls committed three errors, which led to six unearned runs.

Reed would take the loss falling to 4-4 on the season. ND reliever Ryan McIver picked up the win in relief of Irish starter Cole Johnson,

USF will look to salvage a series and doubleheader split when they take on the Irish in Game 2 of the double header later Saturday afternoon with the start slated for 5:15.

Game Notes
The game was game 1 of a doubleheader to be played at Frank Eck Stadium, with weather expected to hit the South Bend area Sunday the game was moved up to a 1:05 start with the intent to play... By scoring five runs, the Bulls avoid being shutout for a record tying third straight game... For the first time this season, Bulls head coach Lelo Prado coached third base... Jonathan Koscso made his first 23 career start at shortstop, first this season... The start for Koscso was his 224th straight of his career... Daniel Rockhold made his first start of the season at third base... The home run by Longley was his first since his grand slam vs. Louisville on April 23... It is his seventh homer of his career... Sam Mende missed his first start of the season, attending a funeral in Chicago.