TAMPA, MARCH 29, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball team got a runner to second down by one in the ninth, but ultimately dropped the series opener to Tulane, 3-2.

The Bulls (18-9, 2-2 The American) gave lefty All-American Shane McClanahan (Cape Coral, Fla.) a 1-0 lead in the first at-bat of the third, as junior Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) drilled an inside-the-park homer off the centerfield wall. The speedster jetted around the bases for his second home run of the season.

The Green Wave (12-15, 3-1 The American) tied things up in the top of the fourth on four-straight singles. Tulane then scored two in the fifth to lead 3-1.

Coco Montes (Miami) led off the sixth with double down left field line, but was left at second. Then Kyle Phillips (Orlando) doubled in the eighth, Montes walked and the two both got into scoring position with one out, but were left on.

Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) led off the ninth with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a field pickoff attempt and then third on the throwing error. JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.) hit a sac fly to center, making it 3-2. Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) singled in the next at-bat and got to second with one, but Tulane was able to hold on for the win.

Key Stats

5 – Junior lefty Kevin King (Orlando) struck out a season-high five in 3.0 scoreless innings.
12 – McClanahan went 6.0 innings, surrendering five hits and three runs (one earned) with 12 strikeouts.

Notables

• Genord and Chatfield led the Bulls with two hits each.

Up Next
The Bulls resume conference play with a three-game series in Tampa against Tulane starting Thursday at 7 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.