CLEARWATER, Fla., MAY 24, 2018 – Sophomore righty Collin Sullivan went the distance to knock off Wichita St., 7-2, then junior Alec Wisely went seven full frames, as No. 24 USF stayed alive by run ruling UConn in Game 2 Thursday, 13-0, in the American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.  

Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) picked up his first decision (1-0), going all nine innings, allowing five hits and two runs with seven strikeouts to eliminate a dangerous Shockers (35-21-1) team. Wisely (Jacksonville) struck out nine while issuing no walks and retired the final 13 Huskies (34-19-1), as the USF (35-19-1) offense erupted for three homers and 13 hits to win in seven inning.

In Game 1 of the day, junior Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) was key in helping the Bulls stave off elimination for a second time with his best game of the condensed tournament, going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs. Second team all-conference selection Coco Montes (Miami) went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and a RBI.
 
Chatfield, Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) and Carson Ragsdale (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) all went yard in Game 2 against UConn, six Bulls had multiple hits and USF scored five runs in two separate innings.
 
Wichita St. Game Key Moments

The second-seeded Bulls scored in each of the first three innings, tallying one in the first and second and two in the third, making it 4-1 heading into the fourth. After Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) singled to lead off the seventh, the Shockers got two quick outs. With Stunkel Jr. on second, Chatfield hit an RBI single, making it 5-1. USF loaded the bases, then Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) singled through the left side, scoring Chatfield and JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.), putting the Bulls on top, 7-1.

UConn Game Key Moments
 
The Bulls threatened in the second putting two men on, a wild pitch advanced runners into scoring position, then a throwing error allowed Zech to score on the same play. Montes recorded his fourth hit of the day, a RBI single which scored Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) to make it 2-0.
 
USF really opened the game with a five-run third, as Genord drove a two-run homer to left to get the scoring started in the frame. After Dutka and Zech each got on, Dietrich doubled to score two, then Montes hit his own double, bringing in Dietrich to make it 7-0.

From there Wisely was locked in, retiring the final 13 batters he faced, striking out the side in the seventh. Chatfield hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth to give USF an 11-0 lead, securing the run rule requirement of a 10-run lead.

Quotables
Head coach Billy Mohl on Collin Sullivan's outing against Wichita
"He was outstanding. I know what he's capable of. Last time against Wichita, he lasted 2/3 of an inning, but completely redeemed himself today and I'm just really proud."
 
Head coach Billy Mohl on the offense clicking at the right time
"The offense has been good all year even though they were asleep at the wheel a little yesterday. These guys know what's at stake, it's win or go home. We have a great group of veterans and everyone is clicking."
 
Key Stats

4 – The Bulls matched their complete game total with the two in Thursday's doubleheader. USF's pitchers now have four this season.
2012 – For the first time since 2012 as a member of the Big East, USF has won more than one game in a conference tournament. This is the first time since 2012 that the Bulls are in the semifinals of a conference tournament.  
12/13 – The Bulls had 12 hits against Wichita St. and 13 against UConn, and has reached double-digit hits 32 times this season.
7 – The Bulls tallied seven double on the day and has 140 this season, leading the nation.

Notables

• David Villar (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hit his 24^th double of the year against the Huskies, moving him into a tied for third all-time on USF's single-season list. It was his 36^th extra-base hit of the year, putting him in a tied for second on the Bulls' single-season list.
• Stunkel Jr. extended his hit streak to 12 games against the Shockers before the streak came to an end against the Huskies. He went 2-for-4 against Wichita St. and totaled a pair of runs on the day.
• Genord has homered in consecutive days and now leads the team with 14, tying him for 10^th on USF's single-season list.

Up Next
USF will again match up with third-seeded UConn Friday, tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. at Spectrum Field. The winner will punch their ticket to the championship game against either the top seed Houston or fourth seed ECU.  

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.