March 17, 2012
Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. - A three-run fifth inning gave the Lafayette baseball team an opportunity to knock off Big East foe South Florida on Saturday evening, but the Leopards were unable to slow the host Bulls in a 9-3 loss in Tampa.
With the defeat, Lafayette drops to 4-10-1. South Florida improves to 14-6 with its fifth straight win.
Andrew Santomauro, Brad Hopek and Scott Kelleher had consecutive RBI singles in the Leopards' three-run fifth frame. Brian Davila and Parker Hills singled to set the table in that frame, while Andrew Ruck and Kevin Casey also had base-hits in the outing.
Ethan Perro got the start on the hill for Lafayette. Perro (1-2) allowed six earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out one batter in four innings. Sean McGrath and Toby Schwartz each worked two frames of relief.
Joey Lovecchio, who flirted with a no-hitter in his last start, earned the win for the Bulls to move to 4-0. He ceded three earned runs on six hits and two walks. The right-hander struck out five batters in his six innings of action. Three relievers worked a scoreless inning apiece to wrap up the game for USF.
Each club stranded a runner on second base in the opening frame before the Bulls started the scoring in the second inning. Two infield hits and a walk loaded the bases with one out, and Luis Llerenda singled through the left side to drive in the game's first run. Alex Mendez followed with a triple that rolled all the way to the right field wall to clear the bases, and Chad Taylor's sacrifice fly allowed him to trot home and give South Florida a 5-0 advantage.
Perro fought back with a hitless third inning, highlighted by an assisted double play turned by Davila on a leaping catch at shortstop, and then a twin killing on another liner to Davila aided in a scoreless fourth frame.
The Leopards' defensive stalwart got the offense going in the top of the fifth. Davila dropped down a bunt single with one out and moved to second on a Hills base-hit. Santomauro then put Lafayette on the board with a single, and Hopek made it four straight hits with a base-knock to plate Hills. The rally continued with a Kelleher RBI single to cut the deficit to 5-3.
South Florida took two runs back in the bottom of the frame and added two more in the sixth to extend the cushion to 9-3. Schwartz fired two scoreless innings of relief to close out the game for the Leopards, but Lafayette would not score again.
The three-game series concludes tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. Left-hander Connor Ortolf takes the hill at the USF Baseball Stadium for Lafayette against fellow southpaw Matt Reed. Actions returns to Kamine Stadium on Wednesday, March 21 with a visit from Wagner.
