Roberto Peña homered and drove in three runs on Sunday.
LUBBOCK, TEXAS (March 28, 2021) – The USF Bulls (9-12) put up a good fight on Sunday afternoon to the No. 6-ranked team in the country, but ultimately dropped a 7-4 decision in the series finale to Texas Tech (19-4).
The Red Raiders swept the three-game series, but Sunday’s three-run affair was the closest contest in the weekend set and USF’s pitching surrendered just five earned runs in game three.
The explosive Texas Tech offense was persistent early in the ballgame, scoring in each of the first six innings which was enough cushion to hold on for the victory.
The home team took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, only to see the Bulls knot the score in the top of the second on a solo home run by Roberto Peña (Caracas, Venezuela). The Red Raiders plated single runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 4-1 advantage, but Peña and the Bulls answered again.
A one-out single by Nelson Rivera (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) sparked a USF rally in the top of the fifth frame which saw Matt Ruiz (Hialeah) follow with a walk and Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) add a base hit to load the bases. After a pitching change, Riley Hogan (Orlando) drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs and Peña followed with a clutch two-run single to tie the game at 4-4.
Texas Tech took back the lead for good with a run in the bottom of the fifth and tacked on two more in the sixth inning. Logan Lyle (Bartow) and Tanner Mink (Palm Harbor) shut down the Red Raiders offense from there over the final frames.
Notable
- Lyle allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out two batters over 2.0 IP in relief.
- Mink tossed a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth.
- Rivera reached base three times on the day, going 2-for-2 with a walk.
- Peña tallied his third three-RBI game of the season and shares the team lead with five multi-RBI outings.
Up Next
The Bulls open a nine-game homestand on Tuesday, March 30 with their final non-conference tilt of the season against Stetson. USF then begins AAC play with a four-game series against UCF beginning on Thursday, April 1.
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.
– #GoBulls –
