USF rides hitting by Ryan Pruitt and pitching by Corey Braun
TAMPA, FL., MARCH 7, 2025 – University of South Florida baseball (7-5; 0-0 AAC) defeated Villanova (6-6; 0-0 Big East) in walk-off fashion, 3-2, in the opening game of a three-game set at USF Baseball Stadium. The Bulls have now won the first game of all four series this season.
Offensively, USF was led by Ryan Pruitt who delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth. Pruitt had three hits and drove in two of the Bulls’ three runs. He now leads the team with 14 hits, a .341 average and is second with 13 RBI.
Starter Corey Braun picked up where he left off in his last start. Braun pitched a career-high seven innings, striking out eight. He allowed one run on six hits and only one walk, stranding six runners. Braun, who left the game with the lead, got his second no decision of the season. Through the first four innings, Braun faced only 14 batters, two above the minimum.
Right-hander Landon Yorek, pitching in relief, got the win. Yorek is 2-1 on the season.
Villanova opened the scoring in the top of the fifth. A leadoff double by Josue Valdez gave Villanova their first runner past first base. He advanced to third on a fly to center. Braun struck out the next batter, but a two-out single drove in the game’s first run.
The Bulls answered in their half of the fifth. Carter Murphy led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Carlos Jacome. Ryan Pruitt drove in Murphy with his second single of the game. Pruitt stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. A strikeout ended the inning, stranding Pruitt at third.
USF took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Lance Trippel was issued a one-out walk. Jackson Mayo followed with a double to right sending Trippel to third. He scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Stewart Puckett.
Villanova tied the game in the top of the ninth. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch. Landen Yorek replaced Nolan Bernard who had come on in the eighth. Yorek walked the first batter he faced, giving the Wildcats runners on first and second with no outs. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third. A groundout to second scored the run. Yorek struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Jackson Mayo led off the bottom of the ninth with a triple off the top of the wall in right center. An intentional walk to Carter Murphy gave the Bulls runners on the corners with one out. Rafael Betancourt, pinch hitting, was hit by a pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for the walk off single by Ryan Pruitt.
Key Stats:
• The Bulls have now won the first game in all four series
• USF has led at some point in nine of 12 games
• The Bulls stole another base, bringing their season total to 23.
Notables:
• Ryan Pruitt leads the team with 14 hits. He is second on the team with 14 RBI and has reached base in 11 of the Bulls 12 games.
• Lefthander Corey Braun is 2-0 on the season. Braun pitched a career-high seven innings vs. Villanova. He now has 17 strikeouts in his last two starts after a career-high nine vs. UCF and has struck out 30 batters in his four starts.
• Marcus Brodil got on base for the 12th straight game. He is the only Bull to reach base in every game this season. He is second on the team with a .308 avg and is tied for second with 12 hits.
• Jackson Mayo had two extra base hits and scored the winning run vs. Villanova. Mayo leads the team with two triples and is second on the team with 12 hits and four extra base hits..
Up Next:
The Bulls and Wildcats meet in the middle game of the series Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. at the USF Baseball Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on Bulls Unlimited radio. Note: Sunday’s game, which was originally scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. has been moved up to 11:00 a.m.
Tickets:
Tickets to watch Bulls baseball at the USF Baseball Stadium may be purchased by calling 1-800-GoBulls or clicking HERE.
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About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th campaign in 2025. Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida’s eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024, after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals. The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. 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 and 19 Bulls have earned Freshman All-America accolades. USF has had 131 MLB Draft Picks. Former 2018 first-round draft pick, Shane McClanahan, is a two-time MLB All-Star.
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