TAMPA, APRIL 29, 2016 – South Florida pitcher Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville, Fla.) fired 8.0 scoreless innings of two hit baseball to earn the Bulls a 4-0 win over UCF (21-23, 5-8) on Friday night. Sanders limited the Knights to one hit over the first seven innings and his 12 strikeouts tied a career-high (Eastern Michigan, Feb. 26) in the series opening victory.
“His breaking ball was sharp again, he held his velocity late and he had very good command at the bottom of the strike zone,” said USF head baseball coach Mark Kingston on Sanders. “When he does that, he is tough and there is no doubt about that.
Sanders began the contest with a 1-2-3 inning including a pair of strikeouts. The Bulls then took the early lead in the bottom of the first on a Luke Maglich (Sarasota, Fla.) double and UCF throwing error.
Ahead 1-0, USF increased the lead in the second when infielder Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) singled home outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) on a base hit to center.
Up by two, Sanders encountered trouble in the fourth. After retiring the first nine hitters, the junior yielded a walk and a single, his first of the night, but followed it up with three straight strikeouts to end the threat.
Holding the 2-0 advantage, USF pulled away with another two runs in the fifth. Merrell lead off with a single and was brought home on a hit and run RBI triple to right field from Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.). Then, Maglich added to the three-run edge with a seeing-eye single to right field.
Sanders utilized the 4-0 lead, setting down seven hitters in a row through the middle innings. He also struck out five batters during his second time through the UCF order. The righty ended his night by retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced, and closer Tommy Eveld (Tampa) struck out the side in the ninth to preserve the Bulls four run victory.
Sanders (4-3) allowed just one walk and two hits over 8.0 scoreless innings. He also lowered his ERA to 3.15.
The two hits allowed by USF are one shy of the team's season low (Dartmouth, March 27). This is the third time this season the Bulls pitching staff has allowed two hits or fewer in a game (Holy Cross, March 13)
Stunkel Jr. led the Bulls offensively, going 2-for-3 with a career-high tying two runs scored and an RBI. The sophomore has hit safely in 14 of the last 15 games and has totaled seven runs over the last four games. His two triples rank second on the Bulls stat sheet this year.
Merrell tallied two hits for USF with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. He has reached base in eight consecutive games.
Maglich also notched two hits, a walk, and an RBI.
Catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) finished 0-for-4, ending his hit streak at eight.
USF will look to win the series with UCF on Saturday. The Bulls will have right-hander Brandon Lawson (Brooksville, Fla.) on the mound against Knights' righty Juan Pimentel. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
Saturday is Bark with the Bulls. Fans are allowed to bring up to two dogs and the dogs will be allowed on the space along the first base grass berm. The first 50 fans to the team store will also receive a branded USF leash.
There is also a baseball Alumni Game on Saturday and alumni will be honored during a mid-inning break. Some players from the 30th anniversary 1986 team that won a school record 52 games, and members of the 20th anniversary 1996 team, that won 47 games, will be in attendance.
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 outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.), who has the 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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