HOUSTON, TX, APRIL 7, 2018 – The University of South Florida baseball held Houston scoreless for the first 8.1 innings, but dropped game two of the weekend's three-game series on a walk-off hit, 1-0.

It was a pitcher's duel most of the night, as both sides had runners in scoring position a combined three times until the ninth. The Bulls (21-10, 5-3 The American) had runners at the corners in both the fifth and seventh, but couldn't get a run across.

The Cougars (18-12, 5-3 The American) loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh. But redshirt senior righty Peter Strzelecki (Lake Worth, Fla.) got a much needed groundball for an inning-ending double play.

Houston again loaded the bases in the ninth with nobody out. Strzelecki struck out Joe Davis for the first out of the inning, but in the next at-bat, the Cougars walked off with a single to right. .

Key Stats

8.1 – Strzelecki went a season-long 8.1 innings.
2 – Junior JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.) went 2-for-4.
2 – David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) went 1-for-2 with a walk.
3 – USF has won three rubber matches this season.

Up Next
The Bulls and Cougars conclude the series Sunday at 2 p.m. EST.

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.