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Loss Boots USF From Big East Baseball Tourney

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 23, 2008

CLEARWATER – For the second consecutive season, the University of South Florida's baseball season ended with a loss in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

The sixth-seeded Bulls fell to No. 2-seed Cincinnati 13-2 this afternoon at Bright House Field. Cincinnati will play No. 4 seed Louisville in Saturday's 1 p.m. final, with the winner receiving an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

USF finished its second season under Coach Lelo Prado at 31-27.

Today's loss to Cincinnati was similar to the Bulls' 11-1 loss to the Bearcats on Wednesday.

In the second inning, USF's Brian Hobbs crushed a solo home run over Frenchy's Tiki Bar in left field, tying the contest at 1. However, the Bearcats answered with three runs in the third. In the fifth, Cincinnati increased its lead to 5-1.

With USF trailing 6-1 in the seventh, freshman Jonathan Koscso's RBI single scored Chris Rey, who led off with a triple, making it 6-2. Charles Cleveland followed with a single and Mike Consolmagno was hit by a pitch, loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate with one out.

However, senior first baseman Joey Angelberger, who had hit home runs in five of his last seven games, grounded into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

The Bearcats then scored seven runs off three Bulls pitchers in the eighth to seal the victory.

Making only his second start of the season, Shawn Sanford (5-5) suffered the loss. He allowed eight hits and four runs.

Koscso finished with two of USF's eight hits.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

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