Urso Now Stands Alone as Career Leader in Victories at Tampa

Box score

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The #1 University of Tampa (16-3) baseball team split a conference double header with the Barry Buccaneers (10-9) with the score of 10-6 and 5-6. But with the one victory on the day Head Coach Joe Urso became the most prolific baseball coach in UT baseball history as he now sits at 281 wins against only 90 losses.

Troy Fergsuson remained hot at the plate for Tampa as he started the Spartans' four-run first with a hard single up the middle. After stealing second, T. Ferguson scored on Ryan Kennedy double over the head of the right fielder. Jose Jimenez hit a rocket that was fielded nicely by the third baseman but Brett Rossi couldn't make the throw to first and Jimenez stood on second after the play with Kennedy on third. Craig Corrado then ripped a double to left picking up two RBI. Corrado moved to third on a Roberto Mena single and then scored the fourth run of the inning on Nolan Brannon's groundout to first.

After walking the first two batter he faced, Johnny Williams got himself out of the first inning with no harm after inducing an inning ending six-four-three double play with the bases loaded.

With Paul Cruz on third Kennedy picked up his second RBI in as many innings with a sharp single that glanced off the glove of the leaping third baseman, giving Tampa a 5-0 lead.

Barry got on the board in their half of the second with two runs on RBIs from Nick Shaw and Evan Ashley.

Chris Rosenbaum hit his second ball of the afternoon to deep center in the third, this time with Mena on third, getting another run for Tampa as they led 6-2.

Williams once again got himself out of a jam in the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third he relied on his hard slider to force a short flyout to right and an inning ending ground ball to short.

Kennedy connected for his team leading sixth homerun with a solo-shot the opposite way in the top of the fourth, putting the Spartans back up by five.

Andrew Frezza connected for his second homerun in as many days against the Spartans with a two-run shot to center. Scott Chapman came in the game in the fourth in relief of Williams. After giving up a hit and a walk, Chapman got out of the inning with a groundout to second. The homerun was part of three Buccaneer runs in the fourth that closed Tampa's lead to 7-5.

Barry inched even closer to Tampa in the sixth with another run on Orestes Gonzalez's RBI double.

Corrado put Tampa up by three as he tied Kennedy for the team lead with six homeruns, with a two-run shot to left in the seventh.

With the bases empty and two out, Junior Mejia was hit by a pitch, then stole second and was driven in for Tampa's 10th run of the game on Ferguson's single up the middle.

Scott Chapman was credited with the win and moved to 4-0 after 3.1 innings pitched. Jonathan Holt remained perfect in converting on saves as he picked up his ninth of the season. Mike Davila took the loss and fell to 1-2.

The Buccaneers got a two-run homerun from Gabriel Casanova in the bottom of the second to score the first runs of the second game of the day's double header.

Tampa starter Kevin Ferguson couldn't shake the bats of Barry's hitter in the third as they scored three more runs on RBI hits by Frezza, John Servidio and Casanova in creasing their lead to 5-0.

Kennedy turned on a pitch in the top of the fourth and rounded the bags as he hit his seventh homer of the season and second of the day, this one with T. Ferguson on base.

Barry got one of those runs back in their half of the fourth when Brett Rossi hit a sacrifice fly scoring Shaw and making the score 6-2 in favor of the Buccaneers.

With Cruz on first Ryan Williams hit a double over the head of the right fielder, Cruz just avoided the tag at the plate and scored. Mejia singled up the middle driving in R. Williams and Tampa only trailed by two half way through the fifth at 6-4.

Tampa scored one more run in the sixth on Nolan Brannon's sacrifice fly that drove in Kennedy and the Spartans trailed by only one through five and a half.

Tampa threatened in the seventh but weren't able to get the game tying run and fell with the final of 6-5.

K. Ferguson suffered his first loss in a Tampa uniform and fell to 3-1.

The Spartans return to action Monday at The University of Tampa Baseball Stadium with a 1:00 pm match up against Northern Kentucky.