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TAMPA, MAY 4, 2014 – USF held a 4-0 lead early in the ballgame before No. 8 Louisville rallied late scoring five runs in the final two innings as the Bulls fell 9-5 Sunday afternoon in American Athletic Conference action at USF Baseball Stadium.

The Bulls, who were swept in a weekend series for the first time this season, stand at 24-23 on the year and 10-11 in league play.  Louisville improves to 37-11 overall and 14-4 in The American.

USF got out to an early lead in the second as they loaded the bases with one out before Nik Alfonso singled up the middle plating the game's first two runs.  Austin Lueck then singled to leftfield and a botched pick-up by the leftfielder allowed Zac Gilcrease to score.  The final run of the inning came in on a fielder's choice groundout. 

Louisville answered back two innings later scoring four runs of their own in the fourth inning to knot the game at four-all.  Corey Ray had a two-run single, Will Smith pushed a run across on a groundout before Zach Lucas tied it up with an infield single.

USF threatened in the seventh inning getting a pair of runners into scoring position with two outs but were unable to break the tie.

The Cardinals took advantage of a costly error in the eighth that allowed them to take a 7-4 lead.  A dropped fly ball on what would have been the last out of the inning extended the frame before Lucas delivered, this time with three-run double down the leftfield line.

USF put their own rally together in the eighth which began with a Levi Borders double into right-centerfield.  Lawerence Pardo knocked him in with a base hit in the next at-bat cutting the deficit to 7-5.  Andres Leal singled into leftfield putting runners on first and second with no outs but the next the batters were retired to end the threat.

Louisville tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth to preserve the win.

Tommy Peterson started the contest for USF lasting only four innings as he allowed four runs.  Cody Hernandez tossed 2.2 innings of shutout ball lowering his ERA to 0.86 on the year.  Nolan Thomas suffered the loss allowing an unearned run in 0.2 innings.  Lueck, Leal and Alfonso each had two hits apiece to pace the offense for USF.

Drew Harrington earned the win improving to 3-0 for Louisville giving up one run in two innings of relief work.  Anthony Kidston began the game on the hill surrendering four runs in five innings of action.  Joe Filomeno earned his first save of the season tossing the final 1.2 innings.

USF has a couple of days off before returning to the diamond on Wednesday, May 7 when they take on FIU.  First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. at FIU Baseball Stadium.