TAMPA, FEB. 16, 2019 – USF fell victim to a pair of two-RBI doubles in a 7-3 defeat of Samford Saturday night.
It was the Bulls (1-1) playing catchup on Saturday, as the Bulldogs (1-1) took advantage of a pair of errors across the first two frames. Samford threatened in the first before tacking on two runs in the second on a bases-clearing double.
USF finally got on the board in the third behind a leadoff solo shot from junior transfer
Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.). Holding a one-run lead in the fifth, Samford chased senior righty
Alec Wisely (Jacksonville, Fla.) out of the game with a three-run homer, making it 5-1.
The Bulls chipped away at the lead in the bottom half, as Bodrato and freshman
Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) each singled, leading to a
Kyle Phillips (Orlando) RBI double. Classmate
Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) brought home Gonzalez on the next at-bat, making it 5-3.
USF was unable to produce much offensively over the next two frames. The preseason favorites in the SOCON generated enough separation in the top of the eighth with a two-out, two-RBI double, making it 7-3.
Key Stats
3 – Bodrato became the third first-year Bull to homer in his first USF start, joining Gonzalez and freshman
Dylan Buck (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.).
7 – USF went 7-2-1 in rubber matches last season
Notables
- Gonzalez finished 2-for-5 with a run. He has four hits in his first two collegiate starts.
- Senior righty Richie Cruz (Miami) stopped the bleeding in the fifth and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits.
- Bodrato is now 3-for-4 in a USF uniform over his first two games.
Up Next
Junior transfer lefthander
Pat Doudican (Wall, N.J.) will likely get the start in the final game of the opening series. First pitch at USF Baseball Stadium is set for 1 p.m. Purchase tickets at
USFBullsTix.com.
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 continued the success under first-year head coach Billy Mohl in 2018, reaching 36 wins and advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, while being ranked in multiple polls for the final two months. USF earned its third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. The team had four players drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program's fourth first rounder, Shane McClanahan. Junior third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after tallying 24 doubles and hitting better than .370, being named first team all-conference and an All-American. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 NCAA appearances.
Follow the baseball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
– #GoBulls –
