South Florida snaps Tulane’s winning streak with 13-8 victory in finale

NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane University baseball team (22-10-1) fell to the University of South Florida (19-13) on Sunday afternoon inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium in a 13-8 shootout.

The Green Wave was unable to complete the sweep but did take the series from USF thanks to wins on Friday and Saturday. Tulane trailed 8-1 and came roaring back to make it a one run game, before USF pulled away for good.

“In competition you have to deserve victory,” head coach Travis Jewett said. “I don’t say this negatively, but I didn’t think we deserved to win today. I was proud of the kids for coming back, but today was not clean enough to win.”

Freshman Michael Massey got the start for the Green Wave and went 4.1 innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits while striking out four and walking three.

Sophomore Ethan Brown started for the Bulls and allowed one earned run on six hits in five innings pitched.

USF took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but the Wave responded immediately in the bottom of the second with a run of its own to tie the game.

The Bulls put up four runs in the fourth highlighted by a three-run home run by Carmine Lane. USF added three more in the fifth to take an 8-1 lead.

Tulane showed its resilience in the bottom of the sixth inning when it put up six runs to cut the lead to just one at 8-7. The Wave strung together five straight hits to open the frame including three doubles. Jackson Linn, Chase Engelhard, Trevor Minder, Brayden Morrow, and Ethan Groff collected the RBIs in the inning.

USF answered with three runs of its own in the top of the seventh, establishing an 11-7 lead.

Bennett Lee led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run over the scoreboard on a 0-2 pitch to reduce the deficit to 11-8.

“I didn’t even feel that one off the bat,” Lee said. When asked about the upcoming UNO midweek game, Lee added, “We need some revenge there and we are gonna get it on Tuesday.”

The Bulls added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth.

UP NEXT: Tulane makes the short trip to take on UNO on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.