TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 23, 2019 – Despite an early 4-0 lead, the USF baseball team fell late to Cincinnati in the middle game of the three-game series, 6-5.
The Bulls (12-9, 1-1 The American) struck in the first. Senior
Kyle Phillips (Orlando) got things going with a single, then eventually got 90 feet from home by stealing third. A passed ball allowed him to score to give USF a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, USF loaded the bases with one out. Phillips recorded his second hit in as many innings with a double down the right field line, scoring
Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) and
Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.). Junior
Jordan Santos (Tampa) made it 4-0, as he scored on a wild pitch.
Senior righty
Alec Wisely (Jacksonville, Fla.) was working efficiently through the first four, as he allowed just two hits. The Bearcats (7-14, 1-1 The American) worked a pair of walks and loaded the bases in the fifth with one out, then put a mark on the scoreboard with a sac fly, making it 4-1.
USF answered with another run in the bottom half, as Santos drove in
Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) from third on a sacrifice to center, making it 5-1.
A solo homer in the top of the seventh led off a three-run frame for Cincinnati, making it 5-4. The Bearcats scored two more runs in the ninth on four hits to take their first lead, 6-5. USF brought the tying run to the plate three times in the ninth, but the side was retired in order.
Key Stats
7 – USF had seven steals, the most for the team in the last 10 years.
23 – Santos added another walks, as he leads the conference.
Nota-Bulls
- Wisely went 6.0, the third-straight game going at least six frames. He struck out six and was credited with three earned runs.
- Phillips had two hits for the second-straight game. He's now batting .322 on the year.
- Gonzalez had two hits and a run.
Up Next
The Bulls and Bearcats play the rubber match Sunday at 1 p.m. the Bulls.
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.
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