TAMPA (February 24, 2024) – The University of South Florida Bulls (3-2) hung 21 runs on the scoreboard and allowed just one to the Marist College Red Foxes (1-5) in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday at USF Baseball Stadium. South Florida tossed its first shutout of the season in the 10-0 opener and followed that up with an 11-1 victory in the nightcap. The Bulls have only needed seven innings to run-rule the Red Foxes in each of the first three games of the weekend series.
South Florida has scored 37 runs on 37 hits over 21 innings in the first three games of the set and posted a 1.71 ERA.
The Bulls played small ball and hit several big flies on Saturday. The USF offense combined for 13 walks, six hit-by-pitches, three stolen bases and three home runs.
Game 1
Senior transfer Dominick Madonna (Lady Lake) and true freshman Logan Bevis (Longwood) combined on a four-hit shutout to begin the day. Madonna struck out four over 4.0 IP in his USF debut and Bevis (1-0) was the winning pitcher out of the bullpen after he struck out three and allowed just one hit over 3.0 IP.
Jackson Mayo (St. Johns) paced the offense with a 3-for-4 effort. Ben Rozenblum (Coral Springs), John Montes (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) and Joaquin Monque (Weston) each had a pair of hits. Rozenblum, Monque and Matt Rose (Clearwater) recorded two RBI apiece. Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) connected on his first home run of the season (35th career) that traveled 430 feet to left-center field.
Game 2
In the finale, eight of nine Bulls in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit and seven drove in at least one run. Montes and Bobby Boser (Wesley Chapel) both homered in the game. Boser's second longball of the year measured 435 feet to dead centerfield.
Monque finished the day a combined 4-for-5 with four RBI.
On the mound, junior transfer Matt Brown (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) also made his USF debut and earned his first Division-I win. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits and struck out four over 5.0 IP.
Notable
- Brutcher moved into sole possession of sixth place all-time in program history with his 35th career home run.
- Rafael Betancourt (Deltona), who registered a career-high seven RBI on Friday, has hit safely in all five games this season – he leads the team with a .619 OBP.
- Through five games with Coach Mohl back at the helm of the pitching staff, the Bulls own a 1.85 ERA.
- The Bulls will aim for their first four-game series sweep since February 26-28, 2021 against FAMU.
Up Next
South Florida and Marist conclude their weekend series on Sunday, February 25 at 11 a.m. in Tampa.
Double Play Passes, which include one ticket to every home baseball and softball game, can be purchased now for $99. Group and single game tickets are also on sale and can be purchased here or by calling 1-800-Go-Bulls.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 59th season in 2024 under head coach Billy Mohl (seventh season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 19 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Eric Snow in 2023. Four Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program's first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.
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