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Fiery South Florida Trounces West Virginia

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By BRETT McMURPHY

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 23, 2008

CLEARWATER - A day after University of South Florida coach Lelo Prado questioned his team's intensity, the Bulls left no doubt whether they were ready for Thursday's Big East Tournament elimination game with West Virginia.

Senior first baseman Joey Angelberger hit a first-inning, three-run homer and freshman designated hitter Stephen Hunt had three hits as the Bulls crushed the Mountaineers 12-5 at Bright House Networks Field.

The win earns the sixth-seeded Bulls (31-26) a rematch with No. 2 Cincinnati today at 1 p.m. If USF wins, USF and UC would play a second game at either 6:30 or 8 p.m. today. If the Bulls defeat the Bearcats twice, they advance to Saturday's 1 p.m. championship against either Louisville or Villanova.

"I knew we had a chance because we came out with the right attitude," Prado said. "When we come out with a little fire, we do a good job. Every one was able to relax after Angelberger's homer. He's done it for us all year."

Angelberger's home run was his fifth in the past seven games.

USF freshman Randy Fontanez (5-3) allowed seven hits and three earned runs in six innings with six strikeouts and one walk. Zach Pietrzyk pitched three scoreless innings for his second save.

"Randy and Zack both did a heck of a job," Prado said.

Limited to one run in Wednesday's 11-1 loss to Cincinnati, the Bulls scored in every inning but the second and fourth against the seventh-seeded Mountaineers (35-21).

"Getting up early, it was like 'Here we go,'" Angelberger said. "All we have to do is battle. It was good for Randy to go out there with a three-run lead. He's a great pitcher."

The Bulls could be short-handed today against Cincinnati. Center fielder Junior Carlin left the game during his seventh inning at-bat with an apparent asthma attack.

SOUTH CAROLINA 11, FLORIDA 3: A day after blowing a four-run lead in the ninth inning, South Carolina (38-20) scored five runs in the second inning and made it stand to eliminate Florida (34-22) from the Southeastern Conference Tournament at Hoover, Ala.

The Gamecocks, who lost 5-4 to LSU in Wednesday's opening round after leading 4-0 in the ninth, jumped out to an early lead Thursday when they sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning and scored five runs on five hits and three walks.

Florida's Brandon McArthur (Armwood) drove in runs with a sacrifice fly in the first and a single in the third.

MIAMI 15, GEORGIA TECH 12: Yonder Alonso and Dave DiNatale hit two home runs each to lead top-seeded Miami (45-8) past Georgia Tech (39-18) in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Jacksonville.

DiNatale's second homer, a three-run shot over the 420-foot sign in center field in the top of the ninth inning, provided the winning run for UM.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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