USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com
The Bulls had 14 hits and plated 16, included eight in the seventh
TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 16, 2019 – The USF baseball team erupted for 16 runs on 14 hits to clinch the weekend series against Dartmouth with Saturday’s 16-1 victory.
The Bulls (10-7) scored in each of the first three innings to lead 6-0 heading into the fourth. Junior Austin Bodrato (Northvale, N.J.) got the offensive fireworks starting with a two-run homer in the first.
USF loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, and the seniors, Garrett Zech (Naples, Fla.), Kyle Phillips (Orlando) and Joe Genord (Lake Worth, Fla.) each had RBI in the inning to make it 5-0. And RBI single in the third off the bat of freshman Nick Gonzalez (Tampa) made it 6-0.
The Bulls didn’t need to score much, as senior righty Alec Wisely (Jacksonville, Fla.) was efficient, surrendering just three hits to the Big Green (4-7) with no walks through the first six innings.
Junior Jordan Santos (Tampa) blasted a two-run homer to right in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-0. After Dartmouth tallied a run in the top of the seventh, USF was able to double its run total in the bottom half. The Bulls opened the inning with five walks to plate two runs. Then after RBI base knocks from freshman Alex Bello (Miami) and Bodrato, senior outfield Chris Chatfield (Riverview, Fla.) completed the inning in which he led off with three-run moon shot to right field.
Key Stats
16 – Season high for runs.
14 – Season high for hits.
2 – Chatfield has homers in back-to-back games, and now has three on the year.
10 – 10 Bulls recorded a hit.
10 – USF has double-digit hits in six games this year.
7 – Wisely went 7.0 inning for the second-straight outing. He struck out two and did not issue any walks.
Nota-Bulls
· The Bulls matched their most runs in a game since 2014, also recording 16 in 16-1 win at Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 28 last season. Both 15-run wins are the largest margin of victories since Feb. 21, 2014.
· Santos had three RBI and two runs, adding his 18th walk of the year.
· Bodrato had two hits for the fourth time this week. He drove in four and scored twice.
· Gonzalez, Zech and Tyler Dietrich (Naples, Fla.) all had two hits.
Up Next
The Bulls and Big Green finish the series Sunday at 12 p.m.
About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball team is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls reached the NCAA Regionals in 2015 for the first time in 13 years and followed that success with a 42-19 record and second NCAA regional trip in three years in 2017. The Bulls continued the success under first-year head coach Billy Mohl in 2018, reaching 36 wins and advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, while being ranked in multiple polls for the final two months. USF earned its third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. The team had four players drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first rounder, Shane McClanahan. Junior third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after tallying 24 doubles and hitting better than .370, being named first team all-conference and an All-American. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 NCAA appearances.
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Patrick Puzzo
Assistant Director of Communications (Baseball, Volleyball, Sailing) // USF Athletics// puzzo@usf.edu
