TAMPA, Fla., MAY 19, 2016 – The University of South Florida baseball team (23-29, 8-14 The American) was defeated 11-2 by UConn (31-22,12-9) in the series opener on Thursday night.
First baseman Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) hit his fifth home run of the season and second in as many games. The freshman has now reached base in 10 straight games and hit safely in eight consecutive contests. Infielder Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.) also extended his hit streak to 12 and on-base streak to 18.
Both pitchers worked around trouble in the opening inning. Bulls starter Phoenix Sanders (Gainesville, Fla.) escaped a two-on, one-out jam with an inning-ending double play. Huskies pitcher Anthony Kay then turned a bunt into a fielder's choice and also induced a caught stealing to keep the contest scoreless.
Each pitcher then settled down to retire the next seven hitters in a row.
Scoreless into the fourth, UConn went ahead with a four-run frame.
Trailing for the first time, the Bulls cut the deficit in half with Genord's two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. The homer landed on the street beyond the center field wall and brought USF within two.
Trailing 4-2, the Bulls rallied again in the fifth by putting the first two batters on base, but Kay again weaved around a jam with a double play and a strikeout to end the threat.
Ahead by two, UConn increased the lead with another three runs in the seventh. The Huskies put the game away with four additional runs during the eighth.
Sanders pitched 7.0 innings in the defeat. He is now 5-5 this season.
The Bulls will look to even up the series on Friday. USF will have right-hander and Golden Spikes Award nominee Brandon Lawson (Brooksville, Fla.) on the mound against Huskies' lefty Tim Cate. Due to expected inclement weather, first pitch will be at 4:00 p.m. at USF Baseball Stadium. The series will still conclude on Saturday at 1 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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