TAMPA, APRIL 17, 2025- Rafael Betancourt's extra inning heroics propel the University of South Florida baseball team (21-14, 9-4 AAC) to a 5-4 win over the Charlotte 49ers (21-15, 8-4 AAC) on Thursday night at the Red McEwen Field.
 
The win gives South Florida control over second place in the AAC standings. The Bulls are now two games behind the UTSA Roadrunners and have a one-game cushion on ECU and Charlotte.
 
Right-handed starter Austin Newton opened the game for the Bulls with a clean 1-2-3 inning in the first. Marcus Brodil gave the Bulls the lead in the first inning with a one-out home run to right field, his second of the season.
 
After three scoreless innings from Newton, the 49ers responded with a Dawson Bryce two-run homer to right centerfield to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
 
Right-hander Bryce Archie entered in the fifth inning to relieve Newton. Archie held the visitors scoreless as the game progressed. In the bottom of the seventh, the Bulls' bats heated up, beginning with a one-out double by Rafael Betancourt. Bradke Lohry would follow with a four-pitch walk to allow for a Carlos Jacome RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. Ryan Pruitt followed with an RBI single of his own to put the Bulls out in front once again, 3-2.
 
In the top of the eighth the 49ers put together a bases-loaded situation. However, Archie was able to get out of the jam and hold Charlotte. Archie exited with one runner on base in the top of the ninth, having held the 49ers scoreless for over four innings. Right-hander Landen Yorek took the hill in relief but gave up a two-out, two-run double to Carson Bayne, as the 49ers reclaimed the lead.
 
With the tying run on first, South Florida was down to its final out. Brodil smacked a double to deep left centerfield to plate Jackson Mayo, tying the game at four. Brodil was left stranded after a close play a first, and the game went to extra innings.
 
In the bottom of the tenth, Stewart Puckett drew a leadoff walk. Lance Trippel then delivered a long single to send pinch-runner Jacob Green to third base. Rafael Betancourt smacked a single through the right side to score Green, giving the Bulls a 5-4 extra-inning win.
 
Key Stats:

• Brodil continues to lead the Bulls in hits with 44 on the season.
• Brodil's home run marks his second of the season.
• Pruitt collected his 30^th RBI of the season, which is second on the team.
• Pruitt now has 40 base hits on the season, trailing only Brodil for the team lead.
• Betancourt collected his sixth double of the season.
• Brodil recorded his sixth multi-RBI game of the season.
• Brodil earned his 17^th multi-hit performance, 41^st of his career.
• Trippel tallied his eighth multi-hit game of the season, 10^th of his career.
• Lohry's collected his 29^th walk of the season, leading the team.
• Betancourt secured his second multi-RBI game of the season, fourth career.
• Betancourt's RBI single is his second of the season. His last came on March 28^th, 2025, against Tulane, an RBI single that propelled the Bulls to a 3-0 win.

 
Notables:

• Brodil has now reached base in 13 consecutive conference games.
• Brodil's 2^nd home run of the season is also his 2^nd of his career.
• Newton tallied the longest outing of his career, as he went four innings on Thursday evening.
• Pruitt has recorded a hit in five consecutive games and 13 of the last 17 games.
• Pruitt earned his third-straight multi-hit performance, fourth in the last five games.
• Betancourt's double in the seventh is his 21^st of his career.
• Betancourt earned his 38^th career multi-hit performance.
• Archie pitched four innings for the fifth time this season.
• South Florida played in extra innings for the first time since their game against Georgia Southern on February 23^rd, 2025. It is the second extra-inning game of the season.
• Betancourt's walk-off hit is the first since Jackson Mayo's walk-off home run against North Carolina A&T (3/8/24).
• It is the 11^th time this season that the Bulls have finished a game with 10+ hits, collecting 12 total as a team.
• Tonight's win marks the Bulls' first extra-winning win since April 7^th, 2024, when they defeated Wichita State, 3-2.
• The Bulls are now 18-0 when leading after eight innings.
• The win marks the first extra-inning win of the season.
• The Bulls are 13-3 when scoring in the first inning, 15-2 when scoring first.

 
Up Next:
South Florida continues their series against the Charlotte 49ers at Red McEwen Field tomorrow, April 18^th at 6:30 p.m. The remaining two games in the series will be streamed on ESPN+.  
 
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls baseball at the USF Baseball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking HERE.
 
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About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida's eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024, after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals. The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. 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, and 19 Bulls have earned Freshman All-America accolades. USF has had 131 MLB Draft Picks. Former 2018 first-round draft pick Shane McClanahan is a two-time MLB All-Star.