HOUSTON, APRIL 22, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (18-20, 3-7 The American) was defeated 5-1 at the University of Houston (21-15, 4-6) on Friday night. Catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) and designated hitter Joe Genord (Naples, Fla.) led USF offensively with two hits each in the series opening loss.
The teams stayed scoreless until the bottom of the third. Facing Bulls starter Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville, Fla.), Houston went ahead on a Joe Davis RBI single.
Down 1-0, USF tied the game in the fourth. Genord reached on a single, moved to second on an error, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on a Dietrich single up the middle.
Even at one, the Cougars then regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a run scoring passed ball.
UH also tacked on three runs in the sixth for a 5-1 edge.
Cougars starting pitcher Andrew Lantrip benefitted from the early lead, holding the advantage throughout his 8.0 innings of work.
Down by four in the ninth, the Bulls put together back to back hits to start the inning but closer Nick Hernandez entered the game to stop the Bulls rally and preserve the series opening win.
Sanders (4-3) threw 5.1 innings in the loss, allowing five runs (four earned).
Dietrich moved his hitting streak to seven with a two hit, one RBI night. It was his sixth career multi-hit game.
Genord finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, and has now reached base safely in seven straight contests. The two hits tied his career high.
First baseman Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) extended his hitting streak to 11 with a ninth inning single.
The Bulls will look to even up the series on Saturday at Houston with a 7:30 p.m. EDT first pitch. USF will have right-hander Brandon Lawson (Brooksville, Fla.) on the mound against Houston lefty Seth Romero.
The Bulls will be back at home to host Florida International University on April 26 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 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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