Box Score TAMPA, APRIL 28, 2017 – The University of South Florida baseball team dropped the opening game of the series to No. 23 Houston, 7-3, on Friday night.
After trailing 3-0, the Bulls (32-10, 7-6 the American) plated a pair of runs in the fifth to cut the deficit down to one. Sophomore Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) hit a solo home run to give USF its first run. Later in the frame, junior Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) tripled and was brought home on a Coco Montes (Miami) double.
Leading 3-2, the Cougars (29-13, 9-4 the American) responded with a pair of home runs in the sixth, tallying four runs in the frame to take a 7-2 edge.
USF got one back in the bottom of the seventh before falling in the series opener.
Key Stats
- Zech's home run in the fifth was the first of his career. He went 2-for-4 to lead the Bulls.
- Stunkel Jr. finished 1-for-4 with a run scored.
- Sophomore Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) hit his fifth homer of the season with a solo shot in the seventh.
- The USF bullpen pitched 3.0 scoreless innings and combined for four strikeouts.
- Freshman reliever Carson Ragsdale (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) pitched the last inning, giving up just one hit and striking out two.
Notables
- This is the first time all season that the Bulls have lost three-straight games.
Coach Mark Kingston after tonight's game.
Up Next
USF and Houston play the middle game Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
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.
– #GoBulls –
