TAMPA, Fla. (May 2, 2026) – University of South Florida baseball's bottom-of-the-ninth-inning rally falls short, similar to Game 1, as the Bulls fall to FAU in Game 2 of the three-game series. South Florida (28-18, 7-13 American) fell to the Owls (24-22, 10-10 American) by a score of 6-5.
Five of the 11 runs on the day occurred in the ninth inning, when the bats for both squads got going. The Owls had a three-run top of the ninth to take a 6-3 lead, including a 389-foot home run to right center by Xavier Moronta, on the first pitch he saw when he entered the game as a pinch hitter.
After back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the ninth, Florida Atlantic's Carson Kimball entered the game. He earned the save in Game 1 and earned the save again in Game 2.
Jack Lutz had two hits and three RBIs on the day, leading South Florida offensively.
Jackson Mirza and
Jevin Relaford also batted in runners for the Bulls.
Freshman
Michael Senay got his Saturday start on the mound for South Florida, earning himself his fifth quality start by throwing six innings and allowing six hits, two earned runs, and a walk.
Edwin Alicea relieved him and threw 2.0 innings, and
Ethan Sutton came in for the ninth. Sutton received the loss and is now 2-3 on the year.
Notables:
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Jack Lutz stole two bases and had two hits and three RBIs on the day.
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Michael Senay earned a quality start, his fifth of the season.
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Jackson Mirza,
Jacob Green, and Lutz all had two-hit games.
• South Florida has now scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth in the last two games.
Up Next:
The third and final game of the series against FAU is scheduled for Sunday, May 3rd. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m., and the game will be streamed 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.
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