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USF Loses Baseball Opener To Michigan

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By BRETT McMURPHY

bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: February 21, 2009

CLEARWATER - South Florida baseball coach Lelo Prado wants this year to be different. Unfortunately, Friday's season opener was more of the same. USF blew a late three-run lead and lost to Michigan 6-5 in the Big East-Big Ten Challenge at Jack Russell Stadium.

"Whether it's Game 1 or Game 56, if we can't hold that lead, we're in trouble," Prado said. "That was our problem last year. That can not happen if you want to be great. We have to get to the point where we win those games."

Behind starting pitcher Randy Fontanez (two earned runs and six hits in seven innings), the Bulls built a 5-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth. But the three-time defending Big Ten champion Wolverines scored three runs off reliever Teddy Kaufman in the eighth. UM won it on Kenny Fellows' two-out infield RBI single in the ninth.

"It's a shame Randy's walking out of here without a win," Prado said. "We've got to finish the job."

USF junior second baseman Peter Brotons' two-run double in the eighth made it 5-2. Trey Manz, Jonathan Koscso and Stephen Hunt each had two hits. Ryan Lockwood added an RBI single, extending his USF-record hitting streak to 31 games.

USF plays Purdue tonight at 7:30 at Bright House Field in Clearwater and faces Indiana on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Naimoli Complex in St. Petersburg.

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