Carson Ragsdale delivers a stellar performance to take the rubber match against Marist, 6-4.
TAMPA (Feb. 16, 2020) – Carson Ragsdale’s (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) stellar performance helped USF win its first series of the season on Sunday afternoon.
Head coach Billy Mohl’s Bulls (2-1) scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the rubber match, 4-2, at USF Baseball Stadium.
Ragsdale was solid in his first start on the mound since returning from Tommy John surgery. Ragsdale held the Red Foxes scoreless through five frames before allowing one run, finishing with 10 strikeouts in six innings.
Marist (1-2) put pressure on the Bulls pitching staff by loading the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth. Dylan Burns (Vero Beach, Fla.) came in for relief and escaped the jam, retiring three of four batters faced.
Burns would earn his first save of the season after allowing one hit through two innings of work.
Nick Gonzales (Weston, Fla.) came up big for the Bulls in the bottom of the fourth, hitting a two-run double to left-center, scoring Dylan Buck (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) and Julio Cortez (Weston, Fla.).
Quotable
Coach Billy Mohl on Carson Ragsdale’s performance:
“He was really good. His fastball was exploding out of his hand and he had his breaking ball going. It was a two-pitch mix today where he got us through six innings and we kept him at 80 pitches. It was good to see him back out there, we really missed him.”
Notable
· Carmine Lane finished 1-for-3 with an RBI.
· Orion Kerkering pitched one inning of relief striking out two batters
· Nick Gonzalez is currently on a three game hitting streak.
Up Next
The Bulls head to Tallahassee for back-to-back midweek games against Florida A&M and #14 Florida State.
About USF Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball program is one of the fastest rising programs in the country. The Bulls earned their third NCAA Regional berth in the last four seasons and had six all-conference selections in 2018. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first rounder, pitcher Shane McClanahan. Third baseman David Villar was taken in the 11th round after being named first team all-conference and an All-American. 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 in head coach Billy Mohl first season 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 of the season. The USF Baseball program has won five conference titles and the Bulls have made 13 NCAA appearances.
– #GoBulls –
