TAMPA (April 27, 2024) – The University of South Florida Bulls (22-20, 8-9 AAC) bounced back from a 3-2 Friday night setback with an 8-5 triumph on Saturday over the Florida Atlantic University Owls (21-19, 8-9 AAC) at USF Baseball Stadium. The Bulls and Owls have split the first two games of a pivotal conference series in the log-jammed American standings where third and eighth place are only separated by two games.
It was a complete team effort for South Florida on Saturday with five different players recording a pair of hits, five tallying at least one RBI and three Bulls on the mound contributing to the victory.
Dominick Madonna (Lady Lake) earned the win in relief of Joey Volini (Tampa), who was making his second career start. Chandler Dorsey (Lakeland) recorded the final eight outs of the ballgame to keep the surging Owls at bay.
A four-run second inning was the difference in the game for the Bulls, after falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning.
Drew Brutcher (Lakeland), Joaquin Monque (Weston) and Jackson Mayo (St. Johns) walked in succession to load the bases in the bottom of the second inning. Stewart Puckett (DeLeon Springs) singled home a pair of runs to tie the game before Marcus Brodil (Dunedin) and Matt Rose (Clearwater) each recorded RBI to give USF a 4-2 advantage.
Monque added an RBI-single in the third frame and Puckett picked up his third RBI of the day to make it a 6-2 affair.
Dorsey entered the game with a 7-3 lead in relief of Madonna in the top of the seventh. FAU scratched across a run and eventually loaded the bases in the inning to bring the go-ahead run to the plate before Dorsey struck out the final Owl of the frame.
Notable
- Volini, who missed the entire 2023 season due to Tommy John, has posted a 2.63 ERA (13.2 IP/4 ER) with 17 strikeouts and two walks over his last five appearances.
- Madonna is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA (16.1/6 ER), 17 strikeouts and three walks in his last four appearances.
- Rafael Betancourt (Deltona) went 2-for-5 with a double and one RBI to extend his hitting streak to a season-best 10 games.
- Batting out of the leadoff spot for the second straight game, Brodil went 2-for-2 with three walks and one RBI.
- The Bulls have tallied 10 or more hits in a game 10 times over their last 14 outings.
- South Florida hit .313 (5-for-16) with runners in scoring position in the win, which had previously hindered the Bulls during their current homestand.
- Saturday's win snapped a season-long five-game skid for USF.
Up Next
The rubber match of the three-game conference series between the Bulls and Owls is set for Sunday, April 28 at 1 p.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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