TAMPA, MAY 1, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (21-23, 6-9 The American) was defeated 9-2 by UCF on Sunday afternoon. By virtue of winning the contests on Friday and Saturday, the Bulls win the weekend set, their first conference series win of the season.
UCF (22-24, 6-9) went ahead with a pair of runs in the opening frame.
Down 2-0, USF rallied in the bottom of the first by loading the bases but starting pitcher Cre Finfrock escaped the threat without allowing a run.
The Knights then extended the lead with a four-run third inning.
Trailing by six, USF inched closer on a Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) RBI double in the fourth. The Bulls almost cut more into the UCF lead but Finfrock again left the bases full.
UCF then added three runs during the remainder of the game in the victory.
Luke Borders posted two hits and an RBI in the contest. The junior tied his season-high for hits in a game and has now hit safely in six consecutive games.
Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) recorded two hits in the contest for his team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the year. He doubled in the first inning, his sixth of the year, and also added an RBI single later in the seventh.
Infielder Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) finished with a hit, a run scored, and a stolen base. He extended his hit streak to four and on-base streak up to 10.
Outfielder Luke Maglich (Sarasota, Fla.) was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored, ending his season-high hit streak at eight.
Bulls starter Joe Cavallaro (Venice, Fla.) receives the loss. The right-hander yielded six runs in 2.2 innings and is now 4-2 on the season. Pitchers Michael Clarkson (Oldsmar, Fla.), Tommy Eveld (Tampa) and Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) also threw in the contest.
The Bulls do not have any midweek games during the next few days. USF will remain at home to host No. 20 Tulane next Friday through Sunday. First pitches are set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with a 1 p.m. start time on Sunday.
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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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