DELAND, FLA., MARCH 27, 2019 – The USF baseball team led early, but fell behind and couldn't complete the comeback in a high scoring affair, falling to Stetson, 10-9, Wednesday.
 
The Bulls (12-11, 1-2 The American) jumped out early with extra-base hits in the first. Senior Kyle Phillips (Orlando) doubled, then classmate Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) hit his sixth home run of the year to make it 2-0.
 
Junior Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) worked a walk, stole second, then got brought home with an RBI double off the bat of Jake Sullivan (Tampa), making it 3-0 after one. USF threatened again in the second, loaded the bases with one out before scoring twice more.
 
The 5-0 lead didn't last long, as the Hatters erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the second to gain control. The Bulls got one back on Genord's second home run in the top of the fourth, but Stetson answered with two more runs to make it 9-6 heading into the fifth.
 
The Bulls cut into the deficit in the fifth with an RBI single from junior Jordan Santos (Tampa), scoring freshman Nick Gonzalez (Tampa). With runners on the corners, Stetson brought in pre-season All-American Mitchell Senger out of the bullpen. The lefty struck out four-straight to hold a two-run lead into the seventh.
 
Gonzalez led off the frame with a walk, then got himself to third on a stolen base before scoring on a throwing error to make it 9-8. USF again had runners on the corners with two away, but failed to tie things.
 
After Stetson struck again in the bottom of the seventh, USF drew within one for the final time in the eighth on a Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) RBI double. But he Hatters retired the Bulls in order in the ninth.
 
Key Stats
2 – Sullivan's first game with two doubles.  
7 – Genord has seven homers this season and 38 for his career.
4 – It was Genord's second game with a career high four hits this season.

Nota-Bulls

• It's the third time in Genord's career that he has hit two home runs in a game.
• Genord needs just one more home run to move into fourth place on USF's all-time list.
• It was the eighth game with double-digit hits this season (12).
• Senior Kyle Phillips (Orlando) had two hits for the fifth-straight game.
• Gonzalez scored runs.

Up Next

The Bulls are back home Friday for the start of a three-game series with No. 14 ECU. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.  

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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