By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

CLEARWATER, Fla., MAY 23, 2018 – Peter Strzelecki delivered another gutsy performance against Cincinnati while the Bulls' bats made noise in a 9-4 victory that kept No. 24 USF alive in the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.

Strzelecki (9-3) struck out seven and surrendered three earned runs in 6.2 innings to beat the sixth-seeded Bearcats in consecutive starts. Andrew Perez (Orlando) closed the door on the Cincinnati comeback by striking out three in two shutout innings.

All-conference pick Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) hit his team-best 13^th homer of the season in two-run fashion and drove in three runs during his 3-for-4 performance at the plate. David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hit two RBI doubles, went 3-for-5 and scored three runs.

Just like its first game of the day, second-seeded USF (33-19-1) erased an early 1-0 deficit thanks to the Bulls applying the pressure on the Bearcats (28-28).

USF's two-run second inning started with walks by Genord and Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.). Genord scored on a perfect bunt single to third base by JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.) that led to a throwing error. Chatfield scored from third one batter later to give the Bulls their first lead in the tournament.

USF extended its lead to 4-1 with a two-run sixth inning that started with Villar drilling an RBI double to the deepest part of the park in center field. Kyle Phillips (Orlando) continued his productive day with a two-out single that plated USF's second run of the frame.

All-conference first team pick Villar sparked USF's three-run seventh inning with a two-out RBI double. Genord followed that up by lifting his team-leading 13^th homer of the season over the wall in left field to give the Bulls a 7-1 lead.

Key Stats

13.2 – The amount of innings Peter Strzelecki has pitched against Cincinnati in his past two starts.
13 – The number of hits USF racked up against the Bearcats. USF has posted 10-plus hits in 30 games this season.
10 – USF pitchers struck out 10 batters in both of Wednesday's games at the tournament.

Notables

• Peter Strzelecki has beaten the Bearcats in consecutive starts after giving the Bulls seven innings in game 2 of their win at Cincinnati last Friday.
• Strzelecki's nine wins this season move the senior into a tie for seventh on USF's single-season list.
• David Villar's two doubles against Cincinnati brought his season total up to 23, which ties the junior for fourth on USF's single-season list. Villar's 35 extra-base hits rank third in school single-season history.
• Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) extended his hit streak to 11 games with a single to left field in the first inning. Stunkel Jr. went 2-for-4 and scored two runs.

Up Next
USF will face seventh-seeded Wichita State for the second straight day 9 a.m. Thursday back at Robin Roberts Field, located next to Spectrum Field. The winner will then face UConn immediately following, also at Robin Roberts Field. 

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 Bulls have continued the success under first-year head coach Billy Mohl in 2018, reaching the 30-win mark, while being ranked in multiple polls since mid-April. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 12 NCAA appearances.