USF Baseball outlasts Stetson in extra innings, 4-3

Jarrett Eaton drove in the winning run for the second straight game.

DELAND, Fla. (May 10, 2022) – The Bulls’ hottest hitter, Jarrett Eaton (Mobile, Ala.), delivered once again on Tuesday night as the University of South Florida (26-22) opened a four-game road stretch with a 4-3 comeback victory in 10 innings at Stetson University (22-26).

Eaton finished the night 3-for-6 and delivered a two-out RBI-single in the top of the 10th inning which accounted for the game-winning run.

After recording his first collegiate win on Sunday, freshman Joey Volini (Tampa) picked up the win on the mound again Tuesday with a scoreless inning of work from the bullpen. Orion Kerkering (Venice) struck out two batters and nailed down his third save of the season.

South Florida claimed the first lead of the ballgame on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Mayo (St. Johns) in the top of the fourth frame. Stetson took the lead with a pair of runs in the sixth inning before the Bulls mounted their late comeback.

Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) doubled with one out in the top of the eighth and scored to tie the game at 2-2 on an RBI-single by Daniel Cantu (Jacksonville).

The Hatters answered with a two-out run in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 3-2 lead and put USF on the ropes only three outs away from defeat.

The Bulls answered again in the top of the ninth. Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) singled with one out and moved to third on a double down the left field line by Marcus Brodil (Dunedin). Nelson Rivera (Tao Alto, Puerto Rico) knotted the score at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly and Volini blanked the Hatters in the bottom half of the inning to send the game to extras.

Notable

  • Eaton is hitting .355 (11-for-31) with seven RBI over his last seven games, including the game-winning RBI in two straight games.
  • Volini has not allowed an earned run over his last four appearances (6.1 IP).
  • Tanner Mink (Palm Harbor) struck out four over 2.0 IP in relief.
  • Hunter Mink (Palm Harbor) struck out three over 2.0 IP in his first start of the season.
  • USF pitching has allowed just five runs over the last three games.
  • Cantu, Gonzalez, Lane and Mayo each finished the night with a pair of hits.
  • Lane tallied his 22nd multi-hit game of the year and leads the American Athletic Conference with 70 hits this season.
  • Gonzalez is batting .394 (13-33) over his last 10 games. 

Up Next

The Bulls will head to ECU for their final regular season road series beginning on Friday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Greenville, N.C. 

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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