CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 28, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball wins its third American Conference game of the season, taking Game 2 against Charlotte. The Bulls (22-5, 3-2 American) defeated the 49ers (17-10, 2-3 American) 9-5.
 
Today, the Bulls were the ones who got on the board in the first inning. Ryan Pruitt hit a leadoff single to left field, and Bradke Lohry would also single to advance Pruitt. An Eli Thomas fielder's choice would push Pruitt to third, and he would score on an RBI double by Nathan Earley. South Florida led 1-0 at the end of the first inning.
 
Scoring didn't stop there for the Bulls, as they continued to score in the top of the second. Jack Lutz hit a single to left field to lead off the inning. Lance Trippel was hit by a pitch, and then Jacob Green hit his first home run of the season. Green sent it 331 feet to right field to score three for South Florida. Jevin Relaford followed him with a walk, and the 49ers would then pull their starting pitcher, Drew Munn. Pruitt would reach on a fielder's choice, and Relaford advanced to second on a fielding error by new Charlotte pitcher, Chase Carson. Lohry would single to load the bases, and Gabe Graulau would earn his first RBI of the game when he reached on a fielder's choice, which would score Relaford. The Bulls would lead 5-0 at the end of the second inning.
 
South Florida could not stop scoring and extended the lead further in the top of the fourth. Pruitt hit another leadoff single, and Lohry doubled to put runners on second and third. Graulau would record two more RBIs on the day with a single up the middle that scored them both. The Bulls led 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
Charlotte got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth. Dylan Koontz hit a leadoff solo home run 406 feet to right field. Alec DeMartino doubled to right center, and Robert Nedry lined out to center field to advance him to third. Cale Stricklin hit a sacrifice fly to center field that would score DeMartino. The score would be 7-2, South Florida, at the end of the fourth.
 
The 49ers continued to fight back in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run from Todd Hudson. His fifth of the season, going for 375 feet to right field. The score would be 7-3 Bulls at the end of the fifth.
 
The comeback didn't stop there, as Charlotte continued to cut into the South Florida lead in the bottom of the eighth. Spencer Nolan hit an infield single to third base, and Todd Hudson hit a double to right center to move Nolan to third. Cody Gunderson grounded out to third base, but allowed Nolan to score. Koontz would single through the middle, scoring Hudson, giving the 49ers two runs in the inning. The score would be 7-5 heading to the ninth.
 
The Bulls closed the door on any sort of a comeback in the top of the ninth. Graulau walked and later advanced to second on a groundball from Juan Correa. Rafael Betancourt would double to center field and score Graulau. Joey Brenczewski came into the game to pinch run for Betancourt, and soon advanced to third on a wild pitch. A Lutz single through the left side of the infield would score Brenczewski and give South Florida a 9-5 lead that would be held through the ninth.
 
Michael Senay started on the mound for the Bulls and is now 5-0 on the season after his win today. He threw seven innings and recorded three strikeouts, while giving up seven hits, five runs, and one walk. Ethan Sutton threw the remaining two innings for South Florida and earned his sixth save of the season. He recorded three strikeouts and gave up one hit.
 
Notables:
• Michael Senay is now 5-0 on the season.
• Ethan Sutton earned his sixth save of the season.
• Jacob Green hit his first home run of the season, a three-run homer in the second.
• Bradke Lohry had four hits on five at-bats, two of which were doubles, and is currently on a fourteen-game reached base streak. Lance Trippel is on a twelve.
• Jack Lutz went three for five with an RBI.
 
Up Next:
The third and deciding game of the three-game series will be tomorrow, Sunday, March 29th. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 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 –