TAMPA (MARCH 6, 2016) – The University of South Florida (6-5) baseball team was defeated 8-7 in the final game of the series with Saint Joseph's (4-3) on Sunday afternoon. Following a 13-3 win on Friday and a 7-3 victory on Saturday, the Bulls still win the series, their third consecutive to begin the season.

“We had one bad inning where we gave up a bunch of runs,” said USF head baseball coach Mark Kingston. “We also should have scored a lot more than we did and we had plenty of opportunities.”

The Bulls rallied in the first inning by loading the bases against SJU pitcher Tim Brennan. With one out, freshman Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) laced a three-run double to left field, giving USF the early advantage.

Right-hander Joe Cavallaro (Venice, Fla.) maintained the 3-0 lead in the third when he struck out infielder Matt Maul with the bases full to end the threat. Cavallaro continued to be effective against the Hawks, striking out seven hitters through the first four innings.

Ahead 3-0, catcher Levi Borders (Winter Haven, Fla) added to the Bulls' edge in the fifth with a two-run homer to right field and outfielder Luke Maglich (Sarasota, Fla.) scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.

Down by six, Saint Joseph's began their comeback with a three-run sixth inning.

Trailing 6-3, the Hawks then built another opportunity in the seventh. Facing the USF bullpen of Garrett Bye (Riverview, Fla.) and Tommy Eveld (Tampa, Fla.), SJU totaled five runs (three earned) to seize its first lead of the day.

The Bulls narrowed the 8-6 deficit in the bottom of the eighth on a Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) sacrifice fly. USF also had the tying run at second base but Saint Joseph's reliever Justin Aungst struck out Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) to end the rally. USF's last chance came in the ninth when Maglich provided a two-out single and stole second, but reliever Brian Lau struck out Chatfield to end the game.

Aungst (2-0) earns the win, throwing 3.2 innings of one-run baseball. Eveld (0-1) receives the loss, allowing one unearned run in 2.2 innings. He also struck out five hitters in the game. The save for Lau is his third of the year.

Cavallaro receives the no decision, despite delivering a quality start of 6.0 innings and three runs on three hits. He held the Hawks to just one hit entering the sixth and his 10 strikeouts are a new career-high. The Bulls pitching staff compiled 15 strikeouts in the game.

Designated hitter Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) and Zech both tallied two hits each. Chatfield's three RBIs tied a career-high (Eastern Michigan, 2/27). Levi Borders and Maglich each posted two runs scored.

The homestand continues 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.  

- #GoBulls -