Box Score TAMPA, MARCH 28, 2017 – After already overcoming a 3-0 deficit, the University of South Florida baseball team took a 4-4 tie in the seventh and stretched it into a five-run lead thanks to a four-run eighth, rolling to a 9-4 win Tuesday night over Stetson.
The Bulls (23-3) found themselves down by their largest deficit of the season since the opening game vs. Iowa on Feb. 17 following the top of the third frame when they trailed 3-0. But the bats quickly came alive in the bottom half, as sophomore Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) led off with a double. Following a walk to put two men on with one out, the Bulls delivered the Hatters (10-17) three-consecutive singles to right field to drive three separate men from second base, tying the game at 3-3.
After taking its first lead in the fourth, USF found themselves in a stalemate after Mike Spooner singled with two outs in the seventh to bring in a run. But the hosts took one final lead with a run in the bottom half and added four insurance tallies in the eighth capped off by a Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) double down to deep right center that scored two.
Key Stats
· Six Bulls recorded multi-hit games led by junior Kevin Merrell (Odessa, Fla.), who went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI in his first game since March 22.
· Genord went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI, sophomore Coco Montes (Miami) also went 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI and Chatfield went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Chatfield went 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
· Junior Joe Cavallaro (Venice, Fla.) picked up his second win of the season, logging the final 2.1 innings allowing just one hit while striking out four.
· Freshman starter D.J. Roberts (Jacksonville, Fla.) tossed 4.0 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, two being earned. He struck out two.
Notables
· The Bulls improve their best non-conference mark in program history, as they sit at 23-3.
· USF clubbed double-digit hits for the 16th time this year and at least 13 hits (14) for the eighth time.
Thoughts from Kevin Merrell and Coach Kingston on the win and the start of league play:
Up Next
The Bulls open up American Athletic Conference play Friday when they leave the state of Florida for the first time this season visiting Tulane for three games.
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 a 4-2 victory against No. 3 Florida State on Feb. 21. The win over FSU was part of the best start in program history thanks to a 19-game winning streak, the second-longest in USF Baseball records.
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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