USF Baseball: Bulls dominate series finale in doubleheader split at UCF

Riley Hogan went 5-for-6 with a double, homer and four RBI in the nightcap.

ORLANDO (April 17, 2021) – After dropping the opener of a doubleheader on Saturday in extra innings, 5-4, the USF Bulls (13-17, 3-5 AAC) overpowered the UCF Knights (17-19, 7-5 AAC) with a convincing 11-0 victory to conclude a four-game series.

Riley Hogan (Orlando) had six hits on the day, including a 5-for-6 effort in game two with a homer, a double and four RBI.

Game 1

Following a Friday sweep to begin the four-game series, UCF jumped out to a 2-0 in Saturday’s opener with a pair of runs in the second inning. The score remained until the USF offense hung a crooked number on the scoreboard to take its first lead of the series in the top of the fifth.

Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) and Julio Cortez (Weston) singled to lead off the fifth frame, and Daniel Cantu (Jacksonville) put the Bulls in front with his third home run of the season. Two batters later, Roberto Peña (Caracas, Venezuela) jumped on the first pitch he saw and padded the USF lead to 4-2 with a solo homer.

The Knights even things up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and the game eventually went to extra innings.

Looking to strike first in the 10th inning, the Bulls loaded the bases with one out, but came up empty, while UCF quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame and pushed across the game-winning run.

Game 2

Hogan started the fireworks in the nightcap with a solo home run in the top of the first inning, and the Bulls never looked back in a completely dominant effort on both sides of the ball.

Playing in his hometown, Hogan stretched the USF lead to 3-0 with a two-run single on his next trip to the plate and added an RBI-double in the fifth frame.

Brutcher, Cortez, Nick Gonzalez (Tampa), Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) and Matt Ruiz (Hialeah) each tallied at least one RBI in the finale. Brutcher and Lane had two hits apiece.

On the mound, four USF hurlers combined on a five-hit shutout. Brad Lord (Crawfordville) did a bulk of the pitching and picked up the win in his most impressive outing to date. Lord (2-3) allowed just three hits and struck out five batters over 6.0 IP.

Orion Kerkering (Venice) tossed a scoreless inning to start the game, while Caleb Pundsack (Groveland) and Connor Churchill (Tampa) kept the Knights off the scoreboard in relief of Lord.

Notable

  • Hogan’s five hits in game two are a new career high, and the most by a Bull in a single game in over five years.
  • Hogan also extended his streak of reaching base safely to 22 in a row.
  • Peña is now tied for the team lead with seven home runs this season.
  • Logan Lyle (Bartow) blanked UCF over 3.2 IP in game one and has yet to yield an earned run this season (15.2 IP).
  • Cam Collier (St. Petersburg) recorded his first collegiate hit in game two.
  • USF has tossed three shutouts this year.
  • UCF claimed the season series with USF, 5-3.

Up Next

The Bulls continue conference play next weekend with a four-game series at the University of Houston on April 23-25. The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday, April 23 at 3 p.m. in Houston, Texas.

About USF Baseball

The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 56th season in 2021. The Bulls have won 1,628 games entering the 2021 season and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three since 2015. The Bulls have won four conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt and 1 Metro) and had 126 all-conference selections. USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018. Four players were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft, including the program’s fourth first round selection in pitcher Shane McClanahan, who appeared in the 2020 World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Bulls saw continued success in head coach Billy Mohl’s first season in 2018, reaching 36 wins, advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2012, and making the program’s latest NCAA Tournament appearance while also achieving a ranking in multiple polls for the final two months of the season.

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