STAFF REPORTS
Game 1: South Florida 6 Seton Hall 4
TAMPA, Fla. – A walk-off home run by junior Addison Maruszak gave the University of South Florida a 6-4 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates in the first game of a double header Saturday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.
After three hits led to two runs and a tie ball game in the bottom of the ninth, Maruszak stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run bomb over the left field fence to give USF the 6-4 win.
The first BIG EAST Conference victory of the season extended the Bulls’ winning streak to six games, and improved their overall record to 9-5.
Sophomore Shawn Sanford earned his fourth win of the season, facing four batters in 0.2 IP. Junior Daniel Thomas started the game, striking out seven and allowing two runs from four hits.
Freshman Ryan Lockwood collected three hits in five at bats, scoring twice and driving in a pair of Bulls. Maruszak and junior Chris Rey each had two hits in the game.
The Bulls went down 1-0 early in the game, but a back-and-forth battle over the next six innings found the Pirates up 4-3 heading into the ninth inning.
After allowing one run in the top of the third, the Bulls knotted the score in the bottom half of the inning. Chris Rey singled through the left side, then Mike Consolmagno put down a bunt single in time for Ryan Lockwood to drive in Rey and tie the game.
Seton Hall took the lead again in the fifth, but USF produced two hits in the sixth, from Lockwood and Brandon Smith, to score one run and tie the game at two.
The Pirates tallied the only multiple-run inning in the game, when in the eighth inning notched two to break up the deadlock and take the 4-2 lead.
The Bulls fought back in the eighth by scoring one run from one hit. Addison Maruszak led off the inning with a single through the left side and scored after Smith was hit by a pitch, Brian Hobbs was walked and Trey Manz grounded into a double play.
In the bottom of the ninth, with USF down by one, senior Eric Bauman recorded his first collegiate hit, a single down the left line. Freshman Junior Carlin pinch ran for Bauman, taking second base on a wild pitch by the Pirates. Freshman Jonathan Koscso then sent a single to right field allowing Carlin to take third, but a throw by the SHU right fielder cut down Carlin at the plate. Koscso advanced to second on the throw. Lockwood then picked up his third hit and second RBI of the game in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at four. With Lockwood on first base, Maruszak belted the home run over the left field fence.
Game 2: South Florida 7 Seton Hall 6
TAMPA, Fla. – Three home runs by the University of South Florida baseball team (10-5, 2-0) sunk the Seton Hall Pirates, 7-6, in the second game of the BIG EAST double header Saturday at Red McEwen Field.
Senior Joey Angelberger and juniors Chris Rey and Brian Hobbs each rocketed home runs in the second conference win for the Bulls. Rey’s first-inning shot and Hobbs’ sixth-inning blast are the third of the season for each player and Angelberger’s eighth-inning bomb is the second of the season, and second of the week.
Six of USF’s seven runs were scored from shots out of the park.
Freshman Zach Pietrzyk improves to 2-0 in his rookie season, allowing no runs from three hits in 2.2 IP. Freshman Randy Fontanez struck out three in 6.1 innings, allowing five runs from six hits.
Junior Addison Maruszak was 3-for-3 in the game, with a double and a pair of singles, while junior Mike Consolmagno was 4-for-5 with an RBI and a stolen base.
The Bulls found themselves down 3-0 after four innings, but scored one in the fifth and three in the sixth to take the 4-3 lead. In the top of the seventh, the Pirates regained the lead with a three-run inning. Angelberger tied the game at six in the eighth with a two-run homer and a walk off single by junior Brandon Smith gave USF the win in the bottom of the ninth.
The Bulls and Pirates will conclude the three-game BIG EAST Conference series Sunday at 1 p.m. Sophomore Matt Quevedo will take the mound for USF and Greg Miller is scheduled to get the nod for Seton Hall.
