Jackson Mayo hit a game-tying homer as part of a seven-run ninth inning for the Bulls in Gainesville on Wednesday night.
GAINESVILLE (February 22, 2023) – The University of South Florida Bulls stormed back from an 8-3 deficit in the ninth inning on Wednesday night to hand No. 7 Florida its first loss of the season in a thrilling 10-9 comeback victory at Condron Family Ballpark.
Drew Brutcher (Lakeland) sparked the seven-run frame with a leadoff homer to open the top of the ninth inning. Jackson Mayo (St. Johns), who came off the bench as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the eighth, tied the game with a three-run home run. With two outs, Daniel Cantu (Jacksonville) gave South Florida a 9-8 lead with an RBI-triple and later scored on a wild pitch to cap the scoring frenzy.
Freshman Chandler Dorsey (Lakeland) picked up his first collegiate win out of the bullpen.
“It was a gritty win tonight and it took everybody on the roster, including the bench, to carry the boat,” said head coach Billy Mohl. “I’m really proud of the effort our guys showed.”
Nelson Rivera (Toa Alto, Puerto Rico) had a career-high four hits in the game and a pair of RBI, including a run-scoring single in the seven-run ninth inning.
Bobby Boser (Wesley Chapel) remained red-hot to begin the season and reached base four times with a pair of hits, a walk and a HBP. The sophomore has hit safely in all five games this year against Top 25 opponents.
Freshman Lawson Gailey (Lavonia, Ga.) and Austin Newton (Tampa) combined for 2.2 IP and three strikeouts in relief without surrendering a run to the Gators. Fellow rookie Justin Jackson (Naples) made his first collegiate start on the mound Wednesday night.
Jackson Cothren also logged 1.2 IP out of the bullpen and allowed just one hit with a pair of strikeouts.
Notable
- USF tallied its second win this season against a Top 25 opponent.
- The Bulls are 2-2 in their last four meetings with the Gators.
- Wednesday marked USF’s first regular season win in Gainesville since May 9, 2017.
- It stands as the highest-ranked opponent USF has defeated since February 19, 2019 (No. 3 Florida, 6-1 in Tampa) and the highest-ranked opponent USF has defeated on the road since May 9, 2017 (No. 5 Florida).
- Mayo’s blast was USF’s first game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later since Brutcher’s memorable longball in the 2021 Austin Super Regional.
- Travis Sankovich (Uniontown, Pa.) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and has hit safely in all five games this season.
Up Next
The Bulls will travel to Boca Raton this weekend for a three-game series at FAU beginning on Friday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m.
About USF Baseball
The USF Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and is entering its 58th season in 2023 under head coach Billy Mohl (sixth season). The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four since 2015, and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. USF was ranked in the Top 25 by five different publications in the final 2021 polls, checking in as high as No. 16. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 18 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Drew Brutcher and Carmine Lane in 2021. Four Bulls were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. Former 2018 first-round selection, Shane McClanahan, became the program’s first-ever MLB All-Star in 2022 and was the starting pitcher for the American League.
– #GoBulls –
