DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (MARCH 1, 2016) – The University of South Florida (4-4) baseball team was defeated 10-3 on the road at Bethune-Cookman (3-3) on Tuesday night. Outfielder Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) led USF with two hits including his second career home run, but a six-run first inning was the turning point for the Bulls.
“We obviously need to pitch better, especially early in the game,” said USF head baseball coach Mark Kingston. “Once we got past the first inning, it was a 4-3 game in the last eight innings. We just put ourselves too far behind the eight ball in the beginning.”
BCU took command early by totaling six runs in the opening frame, removing Bulls starting pitcher Andrew Perez from the contest.
USF threatened in the third inning with two runners on and one out but BCU pitcher German Hernandez induced back-to-back groundouts to end the rally. The Wildcats then tacked on another two runs in the third to extend the advantage.
Down by eight, the Bulls tallied their first run in the fourth on an RBI single from infielder Andres Leal (Tampa, Fla.). USF may have closed the deficit by more but a bases loaded double play completed the rally.
Chatfield's solo home run to left field in the eighth and an RBI groundout from outfielder Cameron Montgomery (Windermere, Fla.) in the ninth were the final Bulls' runs of the game.
Hernandez (2-0) receives the win, giving up just one unearned run in 7.0 innings. Perez (0-2) takes the loss, yielding six runs in 0.2 innings pitched.
Chatfield ended the night 2-for-4 with two runs scored and the home run. Outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored. First baseman Duke Stunkel (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) also posted two hits.
Catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) recorded his first career hit in the game. Dietrich, pitcher Garrett Bye (Riverview, Fla.), reliever Kyle Cross (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), infielder Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.), and infielder Donovan Pink (St. Petersburg, Fla.) all made their collegiate debuts.
USF begins a three-game series with Saint Joseph's on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with a 1 p.m. start time on Sunday. The homestand will continue on Tuesday, March 8 when the Bulls host Florida State at USF Baseball Stadium. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
Reserve your seats to all USF Baseball games 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 selected 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.
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