#1 Tampa Wins Two More

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The top-ranked team in the country continued to play solid baseball as they swept a double header from Catawba with the scores of 7-4 and 10-7.

In the first of two games, Catawba's lead off man, David Thomas concluded a lengthy at bat with a triple down the left field line, after fighting off many of Johnny Williams' full count offerings. The next batter, Matt Kepley hit a bloop that fell just in front of the right fielder, driving in the game's first run. Williams settled down after that, retiring three of the next four batters.

In Tampa's half of the first, they managed to get that run back. Troy Ferguson led off by reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman. He then stole second and moved to third on a Jose Jimenez ground out. Roberto Mena came through for the Spartans with two outs as he laced an RBI single up the middle to tie the game going into the second inning.

Williams retired all three batters he faced in the second opening the door for the Tampa offense to take the lead, and with two runs in the bottom of the inning that's what they did. Paul Cruz led of the inning by drawing a walk and just like Ferguson in the first he stole second and then advanced to third on a Chris Rosenbaum groundout. Nolan Brannon picked up his seventh RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to right. Junior Mejia kept the inning alive with a double down the right field line and scored moments later when the hustling Ferguson induced a two base throwing error by the Catawba shortstop. Tampa owned a 3-1 lead after two.

The Indians were able to play small ball as well in the top of third. Kepley was hit by a pitch, then stole second, putting himself in scoring position. Jerry Sands hit a grounder up the middle that glanced off Ryan Kennedy's diving glove, driving in Kepley and pulling Catawba within a run. Williams induced an inning ending four-six-three double play, preserving the Spartan lead at 3-2.

Tampa was held scoreless in the third as they went three and done. Williams gave up a lead off single in the top of the fourth but got another double play from his defense and only faced three batters in the inning.

After the Spartans once again went three up, three down in the fourth, the Indians took advantage. Bubba Morris led of the fifth with a single, that was followed by a Kepley single. Morris scored after a fielding error by Kennedy at second, tying the contest at three. Williams was then pulled in favor of Scott Chapman. After intentionally walking Ryan Query to load the bases, Chapman struck out Chad Baker and was able to make Zach Evans fly out to center ending the inning.

Ferguson's hustle was finally rewarded with a base hit in the fifth, as he beat out the throw from the Catawba pitcher. The Spartan's were rewarded as well, when Kennedy took the second pitch he saw and assertively smashed it over the right field wall for a two-run homerun, his third of the season. Tampa regained their lead at 5-3.

For the third time this afternoon, Tampa's defense came up with a double play, this time ending the Catawba sixth.

Tampa added another run in the bottom of the sixth on another Brannon sacrifice fly, this time scoring Craig Corrado, who led off the inning with a double down the left field line.

With a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh from Ryan Query, the Indians inched closer with a 6-4 score.

After picking up his second hit of the day, Ferguson eventually scored in the seventh on a wild pitch, putting Tampa back on top by three.

Jonathan Holt replaced Chapman with two outs in the eighth, as he picked up his third save of the season and second in as many days.

With 3.1 innings pitched, Chapman improved to 2-0 on the year, while Blake Ketner fell to 0-2 for the Indians.

Anthony Perez got the start for Tampa in game two and had another rough start to the game. Catawba tagged him for four first inning runs, including a two-run homerun by Zach Evans.

Kennedy kept his bat going when he hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the first, however, even though Tampa had four hits they only managed that one run.

Perez set the Indians down in order, but was helped out on two diving plays, one by Jimenez and the other by Kennedy to keep the score 4-1 going into the bottom of the second.

Tampa erased their three-run deficit with three runs in the second. After Mejia's groundout RBI brought Rosenbaum home, Ferguson tied the game when he connected for his first homerun of the season, a two-run blast.

With one out and runners on first and second, in the third, Charlie Raley was able to handle a hot shot to third to start the inning ending five-four-three double, the fourth double play of the day for Tampa.

Mejia joined the list of Spartans to hit a homerun after he blasted a three-run bomb to right. Raley and Rosenbaum added RBI singles in the frame as Tampa held a 9-4 lead after three.

Corrado singled in Jimenez in the fourth to push Tampa's lead to 10-4.

Justin Valdes relieved Perez in the sixth and was responsible for three Indian runs.

Catawba scored their fifth run of the ball game in the sixth, when Ryan Query hit a solo homerun to center. They also added two more in the seventh on Query's two RBI double.

Perez was able to overcome a rocky start(1-0) earned his first win as a Spartan, while Alex Fairweather (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season. Craig Benner threw only two pitches in the seventh, but it was good enough for his first save of the season.

Tampa and Catawba conclude their series at the University of Tampa Baseball Field tomorrow at 1:00 pm.