SAN FRANCISCO – The USF offense came alive in grand fashion, posting a season-high 18 runs and 24 hits in an 18-4 victory over Pepperdine on Sunday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond.
The offensive output gave the Dons their highest scoring total since a 19-2 win over Portland on Apr. 16, 2011. USF also registered the most hits in a single game in the WCC this season, surpassing BYU's 23 hits against Utah Valley on May 2.
The Dons (24-25, 9-15 WCC) did most of their damage in the second and third innings where they scored 13 runs between the two frames.
Dominic Miroglio helped lead the explosion by going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and five RBI on the day.
Allen Smoot kept his torrid hitting going with a 4-for-4 day with three runs scored and a pair of RBI, while
Riley Helland notched his first four-hit game, adding a double, two runs scored and two driven in.
Altogether, every hitter in the USF lineup except one recorded multiple hits to support
Scott Parker's first start of the year. Parker (5-1) allowed three runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out two over six innings of work.
Parker allowed a two-run double to Aharon Modlin and an RBI single by Jeremy Goldenetz in the top of the second that gave Pepperdine (18-27, 7-14 WCC) an early 3-0 lead before settling in to keep the Waves scoreless throughout the rest of his outing.
"I thought the key to the game was when we were down three nothing and we took the lead," head coach
Nino Giarratano said. "After yesterday's frustrating loss, the guys responded. I always knew this team was capable of that kind of offensive production.
"I was hoping to get three innings out of Scott, but once we scored and he started to settle in and throw his breaking ball better I was really excited and he was sharp enough to get into the sixth. I've always had my eye on him as a guy who can probably be a really good starter if he can get through those one or two tough innings and he really showed that today."
Helland's leadoff single sparked the Dons' six-run second inning that saw USF rack up eight hits. Manny Ramirez Jr. plated the first two USF runs with an opposite field single that scored Helland and
Michael Perri, who had doubled. What followed were RBI singles by
Matt Sinatro, Smoot and Miroglio during a stretch in which USF strung together five straight hits with two outs to take a 6-3 lead.
The Dons picked up right where they left off by piling up seven runs in the third after
Dan James led off the inning with a double. After Ramirez singled,
Harrison Bruce dropped down a first-and-third bunt that scored James. The next five USF hitters each recorded hits, highlighted by Miroglio's mammoth two-run homer high into the netting in left field, his team-leading sixth of the year.
Nico Giarratano chipped in during the third inning with a two-run single, while Ramirez and Smoot each added RBI base hits as well.
The Dons would keep it going with two runs in the fourth on an RBI double by Miroglio and a run-scoring groundout off the bat of Helland.
An RBI double by Helland and an RBI single by Perri tacked on another two runs for USF in the bottom of the sixth.
USF tallied its final run of the day in the seventh when
Matt Campos drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on
Tyler Villaroman's bases-loaded walk.
Pepperdine managed to tally one run in the top of the ninth against USF reliever
Grant Young when the Waves saw their first three hitters of the inning single before Aaron Barnett plated one with a sacrifice fly.
Next on the docket for USF is a Tuesday matchup at Stanford with first pitch slated for 5:30 p.m. from Sunken Diamond. The Dons will remain out of conference over the weekend as they play four games against San Jose State, of which the first two will be played at Benedetti Diamond at 1 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, followed by a 7 p.m. first pitch at San Jose Municipal Stadium on Sunday and a 6 p.m. start on Monday in San Jose.
