CLEARWATER, Fla., MAY 25, 2018 – After winning three games in less than 24 hours and battling until the end on Friday, the No. 24 USF baseball team's American Athletic Conference Baseball Championship run came to an end with a walk-off, 3-2 loss to third-seeded UConn.
 
The Huskies (35-19-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first. The Bulls (35-20-1) then loaded the bases with two away in the second, and Coco Montes (Miami) sent a deep drive to center, but it was caught on the warning track.
 
USF answered back in the third with a solo homer to left off the bat of junior Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.). In the top of the fifth, senior outfielder Duke Stunkel Jr. (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) matched Genord with a solo shot to left center, making it 2-1 Bulls.
 
UConn threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with nobody out. Head coach Billy Mohl brought in freshman reliever Graham Hoffman (Tampa), and the first-year righty struck out two, then induced a line drive to Montes, getting the Bulls out of the jam.

The Huskies were able to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out wild pitch, scoring a runner from third. Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) led off the ninth with a single, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from catcher Tyler Dietrich (Naples).
 
UConn was able to get out of the frame, then put runners at the corners with no outs in the bottom half. After a groundout moved two into scoring position, Troy Stefanski singled to left center, scoring the winning run.
 
Quotables
Head coach Billy Mohl's message to the team after battling through the loser's bracket into the semifinals
"My message to the team was just how proud I am to be their coach. The grit and determination they showed was unbelievable. The schedule that we played was extremely challenging and our guys fought to the last minute."  
 
Head coach Billy Mohl on the upcoming NCAA tournament and what there is to take away from Clearwater
"If you look at us down the stretch and the last few weeks of conference, we struggled on the mound, but our arms really performed at the level I know they are capable of this week. Our offense is one of the best in the country, and if our pitching can get going we'll be in good shape heading into a potential regional."  
 
Key Stats

2012 – Despite the loss, USF won three games in the conference tournament for the first time since 2012 as a member of the Big East.
1^st – The Bulls led the tournament with 54 hits, a 2.55 ERA and 44 strikeouts. USF was tied for the tournament lead with six home runs, which was also tied for the most in American Championship history.
2^nd – USF finished with the second-best average in the tournament (.320), the second-most runs (33), and the second-most doubles (10).

Notables

• Junior JD Dutka (Suwanee, Ga.) went 3-for-4. Zech finished 2-for-4.  
• Stunkel Jr.'s homer was his third of the year and he has hit in 13 of the last 14 games.
• Genord homered on all three days of the tournament, and now has 15 on the season, moving him into a tie for eighth on USF's single-season list.   

Up Next
USF will now await for the unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket. The selection show will begin Monday at noon EST on ESPNU. The Bulls were No. 17 in the RPI heading into Friday's game.    

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.