DeLAND, FLA., APRIL 5, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (15-14) was defeated 5-1 at Stetson (16-13) on Tuesday night. Infielders Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) and Coco Montes (Miami) recorded two hits each in the midweek loss.
USF jumped ahead in the first when Merrell led off the game with a single and scored two batters later on a David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) RBI double.
Down 1-0, Stetson capitalized on an overturned hit by pitch call and a pair of second inning errors to secure four runs. The Hatters also tacked on a run in the third for the 5-1 advantage.
Clarkson (0-2) settled down to retire the final seven hitters he faced in 5.0 innings of work. He received the loss after yielding five runs (two earned) on five hits.
Down by four, USF threatened to rally back in the fifth. The Bulls totaled three hits in the inning, but a caught stealing and a pair of strikeouts prevented USF from inching closer in the loss.
Pitcher Brad Labozzetta (Lakeland, Fla.) tossed 3.0 scoreless innings in relief of Clarkson. He allowed just one walk and one hit while striking out five.
Designated hitter Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) finished 0-for-4, ending his team-high seven game hitting streak.
Outfielder Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) increased his hit streak to five with a fifth inning double.
The Bulls return home to host Memphis, April 8-10, at USF Baseball Stadium. First pitch on Friday and Saturday is set for 6:30 p.m. The Sunday contest will begin at noon.
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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