Sonny Rao recorded a pinch-hit two-run double for USF on Saturday night.
TAMPA (March 5, 2022) – The University of South Florida Bulls (6-4) dropped game two of a three-game series to Brown University (2-3) on Saturday night at USF Baseball Stadium, 9-5.
South Florida trailed 7-0 before plating its first run in the fifth inning. An RBI-double by Ben Rozenblum (Coral Springs) made it a 7-2 affair in the bottom of the sixth before Brown tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning.
The Bulls answered in the bottom of the seventh on a pinch-hit two-run double by freshman Sonny Rao (Orlando). USF was able to scratch across one more run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Marcus Brodil (Dunedin), but couldn’t close the gap any further.
Rozenblum went 2-for-5 with a run scored in the setback.
Tanner Mink (Palm Harbor), Caleb Pundsack (Groveland) and Ethan Brown (Winter Gardens) combined for 3.2 IP of scoreless relief out of the bullpen with seven strikeouts.
Brad Lord (Crawfordville) was charged with his first loss of the season in the start. Lord (2-1) allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out six over 3.0 IP.
Notable
- USF pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts in the loss, matching a season high set on Friday night.
- The Bulls have struck out 10 or more batters five times this season, including three of the last four games.
- Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games to begin the season.
Up Next
The Bulls and Bears conclude their three-game series with the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Tampa.
For tickets, please visit usfbullstix.com or call 1-800-Go-Bulls.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 57th season in 2022. Head coach Billy Mohl is entering his fifth season at the helm. The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. 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, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 18 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Drew Brutcher and Carmine Lane in 2021. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first-round selection in pitcher Shane McClanahan, who made his Major League debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series and was the Rays’ postseason game one starter in 2021.
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