TAMPA, APRIL 8, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (15-15, 1-3 The American) was defeated by Memphis 8-3 on Friday night. Infielder Coco Montes (Miami) led the Bulls offensively, reaching base three times (two hits), as well as scoring a run and driving in a run.
Memphis (11-18, 2-2 The American) scored first with a two-run home run from Colton Neel in the second inning. The Tigers then tacked on an additional run in the fourth for a 3-0 edge.
USF rallied back in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulls swiftly moved a pair of baserunners up on an infield fly rule pop up, scoring one on a Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) sacrifice fly and another on an RBI single from catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.).
Down 3-2, the Bulls threatened to tie the game in the fifth. USF worked a pair of two out walks to put the tying run into scoring position but Memphis pitcher Colton Hathcock induced a flyout to end the USF rally.
Memphis then surged further ahead in the sixth with a five-run inning.
Montes plated the final Bulls run with a single to right field in the seventh.
Pitcher Phoenix Sanders (3-2) receives the loss. The Gainesville, Fla. native, yielded eight runs (seven earned) in 6.0 innings.
Pitcher Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) threw 3.0 scoreless innings in relief. The freshman also recorded three strikeouts.
The series continues on Saturday with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. It is Rocky's Birthday and fans can enjoy free cake while supplies last. The Bulls will have right-hander Brandon Lawson (Brooksville, Fla.) on the mound against Tigers' righty Connor Alexander.
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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