TAMPA, MARCH 10, 2019 – Despite nine hits, the USF baseball team dropped Sunday's rubber match to Liberty, 5-4.
 
It was the Flames (11-4) jumping out to an early lead with runs in the first and second inning. Trailing, 2-0, in the bottom of the third, freshman Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) ripped a single into center. He advanced all the way to third on a throwing error and failed pickoff attempt. Jordan Santos (Tampa) drove him home in the next at-bat with a single to center. Santos advanced to third, then two batters later senior Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) tied the game with sacrifice to left.     
 
Liberty put together a two-out rally in the next frame and took a 3-2 lead. USF immediately answered in the bottom half. Freshman Alex Bello (Miami) singled into left for his first career hit, then stole second. Two batters later, redshirt sophomore Jake Sullivan (Tampa) doubled down the left field line to score Bello and tie the score once again.
 
The Flames responded with another run in the fifth and in the top of the eighth. Genord launched a solo homer to left in the bottom of the eighth, but it was all USF would get from there, as Liberty's bullpen allowed just one run on four hits over 5.1 innings.
 
Key Stats
5 - Genord moves into sole possession of fifth on USF's all-time home run list with 35 career homers.
8 – Eight Bulls had hits.
15 – Santos has a team high 15 walks. He was 10^th nationally entering the weekend in walks per game and led The American.

Nota-Bulls

• Junior Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) matched a season high with two hits, going 2-for-4
• Despite the series loss, USF is an astounding 30-3-1 in non-conference weekend series in Tampa since the start of 2013. 

Up Next

The Bulls hit the road for a pair of midweek games. USF will first be at Jacksonville Tuesday at 7 p.m. then at Bethune-Cookman Wednesday at 6 p.m. The game against the Dolphins can be seen on ESPN+.    

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 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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