TAMPA, APRIL 29, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball team scored three runs in the sixth to help secure Sunday's senior day win, 3-2, and the final home series of the season over Memphis.
The Tigers (15-30, 2-13 The American) struck early with a run in the first, but pitching for both sides was strong for most of the afternoon. Sophomore righty
Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) settled down after the first inning, allowing one hit through the next 4.2 innings.
The Bulls (29-15, 11-7 The American) broke through in the sixth with three runs on three hits. After singles from
JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.) and
Kyle Phillips (Orlando) put men at the corners with no outs,
Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) reached on an error, and Dutka scored on the play to tie the game at 1-1. Two batters later,
Coco Montes (Miami) singled to left, scoring both Phillips and Zech to make it 3-1.
The Tigers got one back in the top of the eighth, but it was all, as
Andrew Perez (Orlando) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save of the season.
In the next at-bat, singled to score Montes, making it 2-0.
Key Stats
10 – The Bulls tallied 10 hits, the 23
rd time with double-digit hits this season.
9 – USF is now 9-2 in weekend series this season.
24 – The Bulls finish the home slate 24-9 and have won 55 games in the front of the home crowd over the last two seasons.
4 – Phillips finished a perfect 4-for-4, matching a career high for hits.
Notables
- Sullivan went 5.2, allowing the one run and just two hits with five strikeouts.
- Montes finished 2-for-5 with the two RBI.
- Senior Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) went 2-for-3 in his final home game.
Coach Billy Mohl on the series win, Collin's start, and sending the seniors (Duke Stunkel Jr., Cam Crabbe, Levi Borders and Peter Strzelecki) out with a win.
Up Next
The Bulls have a rare bye week to begin the month of May, and resume competition with the start of eight-straight road games Tuesday, May 8 at No.1 Florida.
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.
– #GoBulls –
