By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, FEB. 19, 2019 – Sparked by Baron Stuart's solid start, five USF pitchers combined for a two-hitter as head coach Billy Mohl's Bulls made a statement with a 6-1 win over No. 5 Florida on Tuesday night.

A loud crowd of 2,363 at USF Baseball Stadium watched the Bulls (3-1) become the second American Athletic Conference team in as many weeks to upset a top-five team. It marked USF's first win over Florida (3-1) since 2017 and the feat was accomplished in the Gators' first visit to Tampa since 2015. 

Stuart (1-0) boosted the Bulls early by fanning six in four hitless innings while USF's staff racked up 13 strikeouts and limited Florida to one run, its fewest runs in the series since 1994. Left-hander Logan Lyle (Bartow, Fla.) struck out four in two innings of relief, including three straight batters in the seventh to get out of a jam with runners on the corners. Nelson Alvarez (Miami) put the finishing touches on the huge win by striking out the final batter in a one-two-three ninth. 

USF's bats brought the support right away during a two-run first that was capped off by Austin Bodrato's RBI single. Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) drove in the Bulls' first run and made even more noise with a solo homer in the third that extended the lead to 3-0 on his 2-for-4 night at the plate. Florida didn't get its first hit until the sixth inning and stranded 12 runners.

Kyle Phillips (Orlando) went 3-for-4 and put the finishing touches on USF's three-run seventh with a two-run double. Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) started the scoring in the frame with a leadoff solo homer that gave the Bulls a quick answer after Florida scored its lone run in the sixth.

Quotable

Coach Mohl on tonight's big win over the Gators. ?? pic.twitter.com/Hpa4OTFrDH

— USF Baseball (@USFBaseball) February 20, 2019

Key Stats
2 – Five USF pitchers combined to throw a two-hitter.
12 – USF produced a season high 12 hits while Kyle Phillips led the way with a 3-for-4 performance.
13 – The Bulls' staff racked up 13 strikeouts, including six by starter Baron Stuart.
 
Notables

• Tuesday marked USF's first win over Florida since a 15-10 victory in Gainesville on May 9, 2017.
• The Bulls have defeated Florida 17 times out of 39 series games in Tampa. USF's last victory over Florida in Tampa was back in 2005.
• USF gave up its fewest runs against Florida since all the way back in 1994, when the Gators were shut out.
• USF is 3-1 in its last four regular season games against top-five teams. Two wins came against the Gators and the Bulls defeated then-No. 3 Florida State on Feb. 21, 2017.

Up Next
USF continues its tough stretch with a three-game road series at No. 6 North Carolina that begins Friday at 3 p.m. in Chapel Hill.
 
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 Villarwas taken in the 11^th 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.
 
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