TAMPA, Fla. — It was a fight to the end for the Seawolves against a team who made the last 16 of the NCAA Baseball Championship a season ago, but a pair of bases-loaded walks in the eighth proved to be the difference as South Florida nipped a 3-2 victory away from Stony Brook in the opener of a three-game set in Tampa, Fla.
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the penultimate frame, the visitors turned to
Andrew Ledbetter to get them out of the inning. He was able to get the first two batters via a swinging strikeout, but walked the next two to score a pair.
Stony Brook got on the board early, with
Shane Paradine lacing a single into center in the top of the first to score
Stanton Leuthner. The lead doubled in the sixth, as
Evan Fox drove in
Matt Miceli with a grounder through the creeping infield.
The host Bulls would answer with a RBI single in the bottom half of the sixth before the two-run eighth decided the proceedings.
Nick DeGennaro threw 4.2 great innings, striking out five and sprinkling a pair of hits through 62 pitches.
STATS AND NOTES
- The go-ahead run in the sixth, Miceli's run was the first of his career.
- Paradine's first-inning RBI was the first of his campaign. He drove in 26 a season ago.
- Leuthner's first-inning single extend his season-opening hit streak, as he's recorded hits in the first four games of the year.
- After 4.2 scoreless, DeGennaro dropped his ERA to 0.93 to start the 2022 campaign.
- He has allowed just four hits during that span as well.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"
Nick DeGennaro and USF's starter went toe to toe and eventually the game came down to each team's bullpen. Unfortunately, their bullpen had a better night than ours. Looking towareds tomorrow, another solid start and improving on tonight's overall offense will put us in a better position to earn a win and even up the series" - head coach
Matt Senk
UP NEXT
Round two of this three-game bout is set for tomorrow night from South Florida.
Josh O'Neill is expected to get the start for the Seawolves, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
For an inside look at the Stony Brook baseball program, be sure to follow it on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
