TAMPA, FEB. 26, 2016 – Pitcher Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville, Fla.) struck out a career-high 12 batters and catcher Levi Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) tallied three hits to fuel an 8-4 win for the University of South Florida (3-2) over Eastern Michigan (3-4) on Friday night.
The Bulls posted four runs in the fourth and three more in the seventh to build a seven-run advantage. When Eastern Michigan closed the gap at 8-4 in the eighth, USF closer Tommy Eveld (Tampa, Fla.) entered with the bases loaded, striking out three consecutive hitters and throwing 2.0 scoreless innings to claim the series-opening victory.
“Our offense was pretty good, our starting pitching was very good, and Tommy Eveld was outstanding at the end,” said USF head baseball coach Mark Kingston.
The Bulls fell behind early when a pair of first inning errors turned into an Eastern Michigan run.
Down by one, USF surged ahead in the fourth inning. The Bulls evened up the score on a passed ball that plated infielder Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) and then took the lead on an RBI double from Levi Borders. Later in the frame, USF scored another run on an EMU fielding error and capped the rally on a run producing single from outfielder Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.).
The lead was more than enough for Sanders. He retired 11 of 13 batters midway through the contest and struck out multiple batters in four innings (first, second, sixth, seventh).
USF added to their 4-1 lead with another three runs in the sixth. First baseman Duke Stunkel (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) singled home a run on a base hit up the middle and outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) brought home two more with a single to center field.
Facing an 8-1 deficit, the Eagles tallied three unearned runs in the seventh and threatened for more in the eighth until Eveld halted that opportunity. Eveld also threw a scoreless ninth inning to notch his second save of the season.
Sanders (1-0) receives the win, yielding five hits and four unearned runs. He walked just one hitter compared to 12 strikeouts. On the season, Sanders now has 19 strikeouts against just two walks.
“We have a gameplan and know what we are going to do,” added Sanders. “As long as you execute and throw strikes…don't walk guys and get ahead of the count, it is pretty easy after that.”
Levi Borders piloted the USF offense with three hits, two runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs. Outfielder Luke Maglich (Sarasota, Fla.) and infielder David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) also scored twice for the Bulls. Zech's two RBIs are a new career-high. Eveld's five strikeouts were one shy of tying his career-best (six at #9 Florida, 5/5/15).
The Bulls eye a series win on Saturday, Feb. 27 with the middle game of the weekend set. USF will have junior right-hander Brandon Lawson (Brookville, Fla.) on the mound. He is 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA this season. Eastern Michigan has yet to name their starter. The game will be held at USF Baseball Stadium and begin at 6:30 p.m. Reserve your seats at USFBullsTix.com.
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. Under the guidance of first year head coach Mark Kingston, the Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals last season for the first time in 13 years and USF followed that success with a consensus Top 10 recruiting class. The team returns outfielder Kevin Merrell, who was named an NCBWA Freshmen All-American last season after leading the Bulls in batting average (.346), runs (45), hits (83) and stolen bases (21). Senior catcher Levi Borders and senior outfielder Luke Maglich were both named to the 2016 Preseason All-Conference Team in the AAC. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 11 NCAA appearances. Follow the baseball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
- #GoBulls -
