Louisville baseball ends BIG EAST tourney play with 6-2 USF loss

 

By Baylee Pulliam–

Clearwater, Fla. – No. 22 Louisville baseball (39-19) awaits its NCAA fate, following a 6-2 loss to South Florida that eliminated them from BIG EAST tournament play Friday.

USF took an early lead with a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the first. A double-out play from U of L ended the first, but South Florida held their 1-0 lead through the close of the fourth inning.

Cards went scoreless into the fifth, but got on the board in the top of the inning with an explosive out-of-park homer from first baseman Zak Wasserman. It was Wasserman’s sixth HR of the season.

The 1-1 tie was short-lived. Bulls’ outfielder Alex Mendez’ 3-run missile brought it to 4-1, South Florida, to close the fifth.

Louisville plated their second run in the eighth, but a 2-run homer from Bulls’ catcher Daniel Rockhold brought the score to 6-2 South Florida, Final.

Louisville now awaits word of match ups in the 64- team field of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which will be announced at noon on Monday, on ESPN-U.

File photo from regular season play by Michael Baldwin.