USF rebounds from one-hit game by winning final two against Fordham

USF improved it's record to 3-4 after beating Fordham on Saturday and Sunday. ORACLE FILE PHOTO/JACKIE BENITEZ

Thanks to two five-run innings, USF (3-4) was able to take the rubber match of a three game weekend series against Fordham (3-3-1) 13-4 Sunday at USF Baseball Stadium.

The Bulls were led offensively by junior JD Dutka, who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Three of Dutka’s four RBIs came on a three-run home run in the third inning that gave the Bulls a lead they would never relinquish.

Sunday’s win gave USF its first series win of the season after dropping three of its first four games against No. 6 North Carolina and No. 5 Florida State.

After dropping the series opener against Fordham on Friday 2-0 after recording only one hit, USF’s bats were able to bounce back Saturday with a 10-hit performance. The Bulls were able to plate three runs early thanks to a Tyler Dietrich three RBI double in the second inning. 

Senior Peter Strzelecki had a bounce back win Saturday after surrendering nine earned runs in four innings against North Carolina on Feb. 17. Strzelecki would only allow one run and struck out nine in five innings of work against Fordham.

“It was a good bounce back for him,” coach Billy Mohl said. “That’s what we needed. We needed him to settle back in to what we know he can do.”

USF played this series without two of its leading bats. Senior Duke Stunkel Jr. and junior Joe Genord each missed the entire series against Fordham.

“They’re still battling a little bit of the injury bug,” Mohl said. “They’re kind of day-to-day right now.”

Next up for USF is a midweek game at Bethune-Cookman Wednesday. It will be the Bulls’ first matchup against the Cougars since being eliminated by them in the Gainesville Regional last May.