Miami baseball 10-2 loss to USF puts them in losers bracket

The Miami baseball team has to go through the losers bracket after losing 10-2 to South Florida at the Gainesville Regional on Saturday night. Miami plays South Alabama on Sunday at noon in an elimination game. If the Hurricanes win they would need to defeat South Florida twice to advance to the Super Regional.

The Bulls will play the winner between Miami and South Alabama at 6 PM Sunday with the opportunity to advance. Miami was unable to hit for the second straight game in the regionals. The Hurricanes needed a shutout over South Alabama in the opening game in Gainesville on Friday. South Alabama advanced 19-1 over Florida.

South Florida made their way to the winners’ bracket with a 5-3 upset over Florida in the opening game of the Gainesville Regional on Friday. The Bulls got on the board in the first inning with a Jake Sullivan sacrifice fly plated Roberto Pena. A Tony Jenkins single scored Christian Del Castillo to make it 1-1 in the top of the second inning.

The game remained tied at one until the bottom of the fourth. A Riley Hogan double during a downpour pushed the score to 5-1 after Jenkins lost the ball because he had difficulty seeing in the rain. Immediatelyfollowing the Hogan double a 1:22 rain delay occurred. The Bulls added one more run in the fourth when play resumed.

South Florida scored two in the fifth, one in the seventh and one in the eighth, Miami scored one in the eighth for their other run. The Hurricanes bats are going to have to pick it up against the Jaguars on Sunday. After South Alabama exploded for 19 against Florida, the Miami baseball team cannot expect another shutout.

South Florida scored half their damage against Miami starter Jake Smith but also scored runs against four of the five Hurricanes relievers. Miami did not have to use star closer Carson Palmquist who pitched two innings for the save on Friday. If necessary a deciding regional title game would be Monday at noon.