CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 27, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball lost Game 1 of a three-game series in Charlotte. The Bulls (21-5, 2-2 American) fell to the 49ers (17-9, 2-2 American) 11-2.
 
Charlotte got on the board early, in the bottom of the first. Todd Hudson hit a single to shortstop, and he was followed by Cody Gunderson, who would hit a two-run home run to left center. The score would be 2-0 for the 49ers, ending the first.
 
Scoring continued for Charlotte in the bottom half of the fourth. Dylan Koontz led off the inning with a single to right field. Cale Stricklin drew a two-out walk, and they were followed by a triple for Adrien Jimenez to score both runners. Johnny Sutryk would hit the second two-run home run of the game for the 49ers, to give Charlotte a 6-0 lead, ending the fourth.
 
South Florida recorded their first run of the game in the top of the sixth. Leadoff batter Bradke Lohry drew a walk, and a walk for Eli Thomas followed him. Later in the inning, pinch-hitter Rafael Betancourt singled to right field to score Lohry. The score would be 6-1 49ers at the end of the sixth.
 
The Bulls continued to fight back and scored their second run of the game in the top of the seventh. Jevin Relaford reached base on a fielder's choice and later stole second base. Jacob Green hit an infield single to first base that advanced Relaford to third. Ryan Pruitt earned himself another sacrifice fly, as he hit a fly ball to right field that allowed Relaford to score. That is Pruitt's sixth sacrifice fly of the season, putting him in the top ten nationally. The inning would end with a 6-2 lead for Charlotte.
 
After an hour and 21 minutes of weather delay, Charlotte tacked on more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Stricklin singled to right field to lead off the inning, and Jimenez walked. Spencer Nolan would single to left field to load the bases for the 49ers. Todd Hudson hit a sacrifice fly to center field, which would allow Stricklin to score. Cody Gunderson doubled down the left field line, scoring Jimenez and Nolan. Next due up would be Dylan Koontz, who would hit the third two-run home run of the day for Charlotte. The score would be 11-2 at the end of the eighth, and that score would stay for the remainder of the game.
 
Edwin Alicea started the night on the mound for South Florida and received the loss. He threw 4.1 innings, recording four strikeouts while giving up six runs and two walks.
 
Notables:
• Jevin Relaford is ranked top 20 nationally in stolen bases, earning his 18th tonight.
• Ryan Pruitt is ranked top 10 nationally in sacrifice flies, recording his sixth tonight.
• Bradke Lohry is currently on a thirteen-game reached base streak, Lance Trippel an eleven.
• South Florida has now lost the first game of both conference series this season.
• Edwin Alicea is now 4-2 on the season.
 
Up Next:
South Florida faces Charlotte in Game 2 of the three-game series tomorrow, Saturday, March 28th. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., and the game will stream on ESPN+.
 
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About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball program, founded in 1966, enters its 61st season in 2026. Head coach Mitch Hannahs returns for his second year at the helm after leading the Bulls to 32 wins in his debut season—the program's highest win total since 2018. USF also posted 16 victories in American Athletic Conference play, marking its best conference showing since joining the league.
 
Hannahs, a 2023 ABCA NCAA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year, was named USF's eighth head coach on June 8, 2024, after an 11-year run at Indiana State where he tallied 355 wins, six conference titles, and five NCAA Regional appearances.
 
USF has made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a historic Super Regional berth in 2021. The Bulls have captured five conference tournament titles (three Sun Belt, one Metro, one American) and six regular season championships (three Sun Belt, two Metro, one C-USA).
 
The program continues to develop top-tier talent with 134 MLB Draft picks all-time, including three selections in 2025. Notable alumni include two-time MLB All-Star and 2018 first-round draft pick Shane McClanahan. Bulls have earned All-America honors 12 times and Freshman All-America recognition 19 times.
– #GoBulls –