TAMPA, APRIL 12, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (16-17) received a pair of home runs on Tuesday evening but it wasn't enough as North Florida defeated the Bulls 7-5 in non-conference action.
USF took the lead in the opening inning when outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) reached on a double and scored on an RBI single from infielder Coco Montes (Miami). The single extended Montes' hit streak to seven and put the Bulls ahead 1-0.
Starting pitcher Michael Clarkson (Oldsmar, Fla.) maintained the one-run cushion early on, working around a leadoff jam in the second and retiring eight straight hitters through the first few innings.
The Bulls extended the edge in the fourth with a pair of home runs, a solo shot by outfielder Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and a three-run blast from first baseman Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.).
Down by a handful of runs, North Florida (21-14) then surged ahead with a six-run fifth inning.
Trailing 6-5, the Bulls turned to reliever Andrew Perez (Orlando, Fla.), who struck out the side in order during the sixth and left a man at third in the seventh.
Down by a run, USF put men on the corners in the seventh only to see the Ospreys get out of the inning unscathed. The Bulls also had two men on with one out in the eighth but UNF closer Corbin Olmstead recorded two straight strikeouts to push the game to the ninth.
Ahead 6-5, UNF tallied an insurance run in the final inning and Olmstead threw a scoreless home half of the inning to preserve the road victory.
Genord guided the Bulls with a career-high three hits and career-best three RBIs. The home run was his third of the season, giving him the third most on the team.
The blast by Stunkel Jr. was his first home run since February 21, and the second of his collegiate career. The home run also extended his hitting streak to six consecutive games.
Infielder David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) advanced his on-base streak to nine with an eighth inning single.
Clarkson (0-3) threw 5.0 innings, yielding six runs in the defeat. Perez and reliever Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) tossed 2.0 innings each, allowing one total run, and striking out six.
The Bulls continue American Athletic Conference play at UCF this Friday thru Sunday.
USF returns home to host Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. It will be the team's Military Appreciation Night at USF Baseball Stadium. 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. Five players from that recruiting class are everyday starters in 2016 including outfielder Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.), who leads the team in home runs and RBIs, and outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.), who has the third most sacrifice bunts in the country. 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), visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information, and purchase tickets for upcoming games at USFBullsTix.com .
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