clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Walk-Off Win Lifts USF Baseball To Series Victory Over UConn

A thrilling, late Bulls’ comeback clinched the first conference series win of the season.

By Connor Akeman
GoUSFBulls.com

Trailing 2-0 batting in the eighth, the USF Bulls rallied for three runs in the final two innings on their way to a 3-2 walk-off win over the UConn Huskies in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at the USF Baseball Stadium. It’s the Bulls’ first conference series win of the season and first over UConn since 2015.

“It shows the resiliency of our team. We’re never out of a game and preach that all the time with the offense that we have and all the leaders,” head coach Billy Mohl said. “Those guys do what they’ve been doing, continue to battle and we ended up on the right side today.”

The game was scoreless until the seventh inning when the Huskies loaded the bases and scored twice on a fielders choice and a double play grounder to make it 2-0.

Sophomore starter Collin Sullivan was pulled after allowing the leadoff single in the seventh and gave up only three hits on his way to striking out five on 82 pitches.

The Huskies (11-9, 1-2 AAC) went to their closer for a six-out save in the eighth, but junior third baseman David Villar singled with one out before the big one...a two-run blast to straight away center off the bat of junior first baseman Joe Genord to tie the game 2-2. His fifth long ball of the season.

The Bulls (18-7, 2-1 AAC) brought in their own closer in the ninth, junior LHP Andrew Perez who turned a nifty 1-6-3 double play to set down the Huskies in order and keep the game knotted up.

In the home half, catcher Tyler Dietrich singled with one-out and shortstop Coco Montes walked before senior Duke Stunkel Jr. laced a single into center to give the Bulls’ their third walk-off victory of the season, and second in as many Sundays.

“Dietrich did a good job of getting on, then Coco walked to put him into scoring position. Duke came up clutch,” Mohl added. “He’s a senior who has been in those situations before and did what an experienced player is supposed to do.”

USF will return home for a midweek tilt against Stetson on Tuesday night before resuming conference play on Thursday against Tulane in the first of three.