Carmine Lane homered and drove in three runs in the nightcap, a 9-2 USF win.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (May 7, 2021) – Dylan Burns (Vero Beach) and Jack Jasiak (Spring Hill) each turned in quality starts on Friday as the USF Bulls (18-22, 8-10 AAC) split a doubleheader with Memphis (14-20, 4-18 AAC) to begin a four-game weekend series.
Despite a career-high 10 strikeouts by Burns in the opener, the Tigers prevailed with a 3-1 win. The Bulls bounced back with a convincing 9-2 victory in the finale behind Jasiak’s eighth quality start of the year.
Game 1
The Bulls loaded the bases in the top of the first inning, and Joaquin Monque (Weston) got his big day at the plate started with a sacrifice fly for an early 1-0 lead. USF settled for just one run in the frame though, which loomed large as the Bulls were limited to just three hits over the final eighth innings in an otherwise quiet offensive ballgame.
The home team answered quickly in the bottom of the first, scoring a pair of runs (one earned), to take a 2-1 lead which they would not relinquish.
The only other blemish on the day for Burns was a solo homer in the third inning by the AAC’s leader in that category – Hunter Goodman. Following that homer run, Burns retired the next 15 batters he faced until his outing came to an end.
Burns (3-4) suffered the tough-luck loss while allowing three runs (two earned) on just four hits over 7.0 IP. The redshirt senior recorded his third quality start of the season to go along with a career-best 10 punchouts.
Game 2
USF followed the same script in the nightcap by taking a 1-0 lead in the first frame. Monque delivered the first run of the game again, this time, with a two-out RBI-single.
Once more, Memphis was aided by a USF error and answered with two runs in the home half of the inning off Jasiak to claim a 2-1 advantage.
Unlike the opener, the Bulls’ offense had plenty left in the tank, and proceeded to score eight unanswered runs, including five over the next three innings.
Carmine Lane (Lake Placid) put the Bulls in front for good with a two-run double in the top of the second. Roberto Peña (Caracas, Venezuela) led off the third with a double and came around to score on an RBI-single by Jake Sullivan (Tampa). Julio Cortez (Caracas, Venezuela) capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to pad the USF lead to 5-2.
In the fourth, Lane circled the bases with his second home run in three games to make it a 6-2 affair.
Monque and Sullivan each tacked on a run in the eighth, and Jarrett Eaton (Mobile, Ala.) scored the final run of the game in the ninth.
With his offensive doing the heavy lifting, Jasiak (3-7) settled in nicely after surrendering a pair in the first frame. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on only four hits over 7.1 IP.
Notable
- Lane recorded three extra-base hits, reached base six times and drove in three runs in the doubleheader.
- Monque went 2-for-2 with three walks in Game 2.
- Jasiak recorded his first win since March 5th vs. Stetson.
- Baron Stuart (Okeechobee) allowed just one baserunner and struck out three over 1.2 IP in his relief outing in Game 2.
Up Next
The Bulls and Tigers conclude their series on Saturday with another doubleheader scheduled for 3 p.m. The series was originally scheduled for single games on Saturday and Sunday, but has been adjusted due to forecast weather on Sunday.
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 –
