Jack Cebert delivered a quality start in the finale of the weekend series, a 6-2 win.
LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 12, 2023) – The University of South Florida Bulls and Long Beach State Dirtbags wrapped up a truncated three-game weekend series with doubleheader at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Sunday. The Dirtbags claimed Sunday’s opener, 8-0, before the Bulls’ bats finally got going in the series for a 6-2 victory in the finale.
Sophomore Jack Cebert (Tampa) gave the USF pitching staff a much-needed quality start on the mound in the finale for his first win of the season.
South Florida and Long Beach State met on the diamond this weekend for the first time in program history, and endured a rainout on Friday with a pair of schedule alterations due to the weather.
Game 1
After posting a two-hit 8-0 victory in the series opener on Saturday evening, the Dirtbags repeated their effort on Sunday morning with an 8-0 triumph while holding USF to just two hits once again.
Long Beach State carried a combined no-hitter into the ninth inning before a leadoff single by Marcus Brodil (Dunedin) broke up the bid. Matt Rose (Clearwater) also added a hit in the inning before the Bulls were ultimately shutout for the second straight ballgame.
Game 2
The USF offense finally broke through in the top of the first inning of the finale with four runs on five hits – surpassing its combined total from the previous two games in the inning alone.
Eric Snow (Forsyth, Ga.) got things going with a one-out single, while Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) and Daniel Cantu (Jacksonville) followed with singles of their own to load the bases. Nelson Rivera (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) was next and delivered the Bulls’ first runs of the weekend with a two-run double. Travis Sankovich (Uniontown, Pa.) followed with a two-run single to stake Cebert to a 4-0 lead on the mound.
The right-hander logged a career-best 7.0 IP and allowed just one run on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts for his first career quality start. Cebert’s outing was the longest of the season by a USF starter and came when it was needed most after the Bulls had already used 12 arms over the last 24 hours (two games).
Brutcher added an RBI-single for USF in the second inning as the lead swelled to 5-0 and John Montes (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) launched his second home run of the season in the top of the ninth.
Notable
- USF recorded 11 hits in Sunday’s finale after totaling just four in the first two games of the series.
- Brutcher had his 10-game hitting streak snapped on Sunday morning but has reached base safely in 12 straight games.
- Montes went 3-for-5 in the finale and has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games with six multi-hit efforts.
- Caleb Pundsack (Groveland) turned in his fourth straight scoreless relief appearance in the opener. The southpaw has allowed just one hit and struck out four over his last 4.0 IP.
Up Next
The Bulls return home to begin a five-game homestand on Tuesday, March 14 against Dartmouth at 6 p.m. The teams will play again on Wednesday, March 15 at 2 p.m. before Army comes to Tampa for a three-game weekend series on March 17-19.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 58th season in 2023 under head coach Billy Mohl (sixth season). 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 Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program’s first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.
– #GoBulls –
