TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 11, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball team was on the better end of a 16-run game three, defeating Central Michigan, 10-6, to clinch its first sweep of 2018.

The Bulls (10-6) found themselves down 4-0 in the first, but wasted no time getting all the runs back, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom half. Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) singled through the right, scoring one, then Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) doubled with two aboard, clearing the bags to tie the game.

After both teams traded runs over the next three innings, the Bulls jumped ahead of the Chippewas (2-13-1) for good in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Carson Ragsdale (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) was brought off the bench and pinch hit. The decision proved to be the difference in the game, as the 6-foot-8 righty launched an opposite field homer, making it 8-5.

After David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) walked in the sixth, Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) hit a two-out double. Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) singled in the next at-bat, scoring both to extend USF's lead to 10-6.
Central Michigan got one back in the eighth, but the Bulls' bullpen allowed nothing more to finish off the weekend sweep.   

Key Stats

4 – Four Bulls had multiple hits in the game. The 3-4-5-6 spots consisting of Villar, Stunkel Jr., Genord and Chatfield combined for nine hits, six runs and four RBI.
4.1 – USF's bullpen logged the final 4.1 innings, allowing just one run. Junior lefty Kevin King (Orlando) got the win and improved to 3-1 on the year.
10 – In addition to securing the 10^th win of the year, the Bulls reached double-digit hits for the ninth time with 13 and double-digit runs for the fifth time this season.

Notables

• Chatfield had a game-high three hits.
• Ragsdale's homer was the second of his career.
• Redshirt sophomore righty Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) and freshman Max Holmes (Jacksonville) each pitched one scoreless inning in relief. The two have logged 4.0 innings apiece and neither have allowed a run this season.

Up Next
USF has a busy week ahead with five games in Tampa. The Bulls begin week five of the season with a Tuesday night clash against FGCU set for 6:30 p.m.  

About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 for the first time in 13 years and followed that success with a 42-19 record and second NCAA regional trip in three years in 2017. The Bulls earned just their second and third wins over top-five ranked teams with victories against then-No. 3 Florida State and at then-No. 5 Florida during the 2017 season. During the 2017 season, USF reached the 40-win mark for the first time since 1996 and entered the top-25 in the major collegiate baseball polls for the first time since 2013. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 12 NCAA appearances.