Roberto Peña hit a two-run homer in USF’s victory on Tuesday in Clearwater.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (May 25, 2021) – After a long day of waiting their turn to take the field on the opening day of the American Athletic Conference Championship, the sixth-seeded USF Bulls (25-26) wasted no time scoring three runs in the first inning and never looked back in a decisive 7-2 victory over the three seed Wichita State Shockers (30-22) on Tuesday night at BayCare Ballpark.
The Bulls have scored in bunches in the first inning over their last three games (9 runs) and are riding a three-game winning streak thanks to that early cushion.
Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) sparked the offense with a leadoff double and slid in safely at third base courtesy of the Shockers’ first of four errors in the ballgame. Daniel Cantu (Jacksonville) promptly drove Lane home. Two batters later, Jake Sullivan (Tampa) ignited a two-out rally with a single. Matt Ruiz (Hialeah) doubled him home and Nelson Rivera (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) made it a 3-0 affair with an RBI-single.
With a three-run lead in his back pocket, Collin Sullivan (Randolph, Mass.) took the mound and retired the first six WSU batters he faced, including striking out the side in the second inning.
In the top of the second, Roberto Peña (Caracas, Venezuela) staked C. Sullivan to a 5-0 advantage with a two-run homer to right-center field.
Cantu also circled the bases in the eighth inning with a no-doubter to the same spot onto the outfield berm.
C. Sullivan (3-3) picked up the win after allowing two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts over 5.2 IP.
Logan Lyle (Bartow) completed the final 3.1 IP and allowed just one baserunner while striking out four batters.
Quotable
Head coach Billy Mohl on the offense’s quick start: “The guys came out ready to swing the bats, and it was a hit parade in the first inning off a good pitcher who shut us down at their place a couple weeks ago. Our guys were ready.”
On Sullivan’s starting effort: “He’s a fifth-year senior and we gave him the ball for a reason. He’s been in these situations, and had some big tournament games for us in the past. It was a great outing by him, and he was named All-Conference for a reason.”
Notable
- Lyle lowered his season ERA to 0.89 after another spotless relief outing.
- Jarrett Eaton (Mobile, Ala.) went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and two doubles.
- The Bulls had five hits and three RBI with two outs in the game.
- USF has won eight of its last 12 games overall.
- The Bulls notched a win in the opening round of the conference tournament for the first time since 2017.
Up Next
The Bulls will have an off day on Wednesday before continuing play in the winner’s bracket against No. 2 Tulane on Thursday. That game is slated to begin 47 minutes after the conclusion of the 3 p.m. game. The Bulls and Green Wave did not play each other during the regular season in 2021.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 56th season in 2021. The Bulls have won 1,628 games entering the 2021 season and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three since 2015. The Bulls have won four conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt and 1 Metro) and had 126 all-conference selections. USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first round selection in pitcher Shane McClanahan, who appeared in the 2020 World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Bulls saw continued success in head coach Billy Mohl’s first season in 2018, reaching 36 wins, advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, and making the program’s latest NCAA Tournament appearance while also achieving a ranking in multiple polls for the final two months of the season.
– #GoBulls –
