TALLAHASSEE, FEB. 21, 2017 – Trailing, 2-0, in the ninth inning the University of South Florida baseball team recorded four runs on just two hits, as the pitchers combined to produce a one-hitter in Tuesday's 4-2 win over No. 3 Florida State.  

The Noles (2-2) struck early with a two-out RBI double down the right field line from Rhett Aplin in the first. The Bulls (3-1) threatened in the second with two-straight singles to put runners on the corners, but to no avail.

Andrew Karp settled in to retire 18 straight before being taken out in the eighth. The USF bullpen matched Karp's efforts with 15-straight outs from three different arms.  

Following the first frame, the Bulls did not get another base runner until the top of the ninth, as Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) walked to lead off. FSU got the next out, but the Bulls showed great patience earning three-consecutive walks to get their first tally. Then a passed ball allowed Coco Montes (Miami, Fla.) to score, tying the game with just one out.

Two batters later, sophomore Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) flew out to deep right field, allowing senior Luke Borders (Winter Haven, Fla.) to tag and score. After the Seminoles brought in their fourth pitcher of the frame, sophomore David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled through the right side bringing classmate Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) in to make it a 4-2 lead. Fellow sophomore Andrew Perez (Orlando, Fla.) shut the door on the Noles in the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning and two strikeouts.   

Key Stats

• Villar had two of the team's four hits (2-for-4) with a RBI.
• Dietrich went 1-for-3 with a RBI and Montes went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.
• Redshirt senior Ryan Valdes (Tampa, Fla.) pitched 3.0 innings in his first start since 2015, allowing the lone FSU hit in the first innings.
• The freshman trio of relievers Noah Yager (Davie, Fla.), Carson Ragsdale (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) and Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) tossed 4.0 perfect innings with two strikeouts apiece.

Notables

• The Bulls defeated the Seminoles for the first time since 1989, ending a 15-game losing streak.
• USF won its 17th game against the Noles with the victory.
• The win marks the first for USF over a top-five team since it defeated then No. 2 Florida on April 24, 2012 (5-3).
• The combined one-hitter from Valdes, Yager, Ragsdale, Sullivan, senior Mark Savarese (Palm City, Fla.) and Perez is just the second for the Bulls over the last two seasons.

Up Next

USF will return home for 17-straight games and the first of a four-game, three-day series against Miami (Ohio) on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Fans can purchase season tickets, flex plans and single-game tickets at USFBullsTix.com or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.

About USF Baseball

The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. Under the guidance of head coach Mark Kingston, the Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 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 were everyday starters in 2016 including outfielder Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.), who led the team in home runs, and catcher Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.), who was named the 2016 PGCBL Player of the Year. The Bulls won series from two ranked teams in 2016 (No. 21 East Carolina, No. 25 Michigan State, began the 2017 season with a series win over Iowa and earned just it's second win over a top-five team with Tuesday's 4-2 victory against No. 3 Florida State.

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 .   For tickets, contact the USF Ticket Office at 1-800-Go-Bulls or by going online to USFBullsTix.com.

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