ORLANDO, Fla., APRIL 16, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (17-18, 3-5 The American) was defeated 4-0 at UCF on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulls threatened first, taking advantage of an error and two walks to load the bases in the second. However, Knights pitcher Robby Howell recorded an inning ending strikeout to keep the contest scoreless.
UCF (19-18, 4-4 The American) then carried the momentum to the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs in the second and another in the third.
Up by three, Howell carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. That was when infielder Jonah Garrison (Orlando, Fla.) snapped the no-hit bid with a one-out single to left.
UCF added a home run in the bottom of the seventh to complete the scoring.
First baseman Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) continued his hitting streak to eight with an eighth inning single. Catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) is now on a five game hit streak following his base hit in the ninth.
Bulls starter Brandon Lawson (Brooksville, Fla.) pitched 7.0 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits in the defeat. He also struck out seven hitters on the afternoon. Pitcher Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) threw a hitless eighth inning in relief.
Infielder David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) finished 0-for-4, ending his 10 game on base streak. Infielder Coco Montes also went 0-for-4, capping his hit streak at eight.
The series is now tied between USF and UCF. The weekend set wraps up on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch. The Bulls will have right-hander Joe Cavallaro (Venice, Fla.) on the mound. The Knights have not yet named their probable starter.
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. 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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