TAMPA, MARCH 3, 2019 – The USF baseball team used a season high 13 hits and another late inning comeback to complete the series sweep of Western Michigan with Sunday's 10-9 win.
Down, 5-4, in the bottom of the eighth, the Bulls (6-4) loaded the bases with nobody out. After a game-tying homer Saturday night, freshman
Brandon Schrepf (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) again came through, lacing a two-RBI single into center to make it 6-5.
Jake Sullivan (Tampa) laid down a sacrifice bunt to make it 7-5 in the next at-bat. Then freshman
Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) singled to third base, scoring another run to give USF a 8-5 edge entering the ninth.
The Broncos (1-8) did not back down and matched USF's production with four runs of their own on four hits to retake the lead, 9-8. Seniors
Kyle Phillips (Orlando) and
Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) led off the bottom half with walks, then were advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt.
After a Schrepf walk, Sullivan drove his third hit of the afternoon through the left side to tie the game at 9-9. Two batters later, junior
Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) wore an inside pitch off the side of the helmet, for a walk-off hit-by-pitch.
Continuing the trend of the weekend, the Broncos belted a first-inning homer in the form of a three-run shot to left. The Bulls put two runners on to start the bottom half with consecutive walks, but three-straight outs ended the threat. USF was able to get on the board in the bottom of the third on a
Jordan Santos (Tampa) solo home run.
Phillips tripled in the next at-bat, then a sac fly from
Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) made it 3-2. After an intentional walk to Genord and a single from Schrepf, Sullivan knotted the score with an RBI single to center.
Western Michigan threatened again in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with two outs. A single drove in two runs to give the Broncos a 5-3 lead.
USF got one back in the bottom half when Santos and freshman
Dylan Buck (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) each singled with one out. Two batters later, Genord singled to right, scoring Santos from third to make it 5-4, leading to the craziness in the final three frames.
Key Stats
11 – Senior
Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.) hit his 11th career triple, moving him into fourth place on USF's all-time list.
.500 – Genord (5-for-10) and Phillips (6-for-12) each hit .500 with six runs and five RBI over the weekend.
4 – Four Bulls had multiple hits, and there were a minimum of four Bulls with at least two hits in all three of the games this weekend.
13 – Season high hits for the Bulls. USF tallied double-digit hits in all three games against WMU and has done so four times this year.
Nota-Bulls
- Phillips went 2-for-4 with a triple and a career high three runs scored.
- Genord finished with three walks and a hit-by-pitch, becoming the first Bull to walk four times in a game since April 7, 2017. He also scored two runs.
- Schrepf went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs.
- Sullivan had a career best with three hits and two RBI.
- Santos finished 2-for-3 with two runs and his first USF homer.
- The Bulls are 6-1 at home this season.
- As a team, USF hit .337 in the series and had seven home runs.
Up Next
The Bulls head to Port Charlotte on Tuesday for a unique opportunity, taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in an exhibition. First pitch in what will be a split squad Grapefruit League contest for the Rays is at 6:05 p.m.
USF returns home for a series against Liberty on March 8.
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 –
