Tampa Shakes Off Rust to Top Shippensburg

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - It looked like the #2 Spartans (19-3) were in trouble early but they fought back and then some to down Shippensburg (3-9) by a 14-8 score.

Shippensburg jumped all over Tampa starter Ross Jackson in the first inning. Tyler Redick and Justin Garber led off the game with singles and after a sacrifice bunt, Scott Goss double to right center for the first runs of the game. A Spartan error on the next play led Jamie Mengle crossing the plate. Jason Kelly then hit an RBI double down the right field line. The Raiders' last runs of the inning came on their third double when Eric Perlozzo picked up two RBI on his shot down the left field line. In all, Shippensburg had five hits and a 6-0 lead.

After spotting the Raiders a six-run lead Tampa got it all back in their half of the first. For the Spartans the first six batters all came around to score before the 45 minute inning came to an end on a fly out with the bases loaded. Roberto Mena and Chris Rosenbaum each had multiple RBI hits in the frame.

Jose Jimenez gave Tampa their first lead of the game with a solo homerun in the bottom of the second. The line drive shot to right was his seventh of the season.

An inning later Troy Ferguson added a solo homerun of his own, his shot was also to right and was the fifth on the season.

Nolan Brannon laced an RBI single to right center sending Craig Corrado across the plate in the fifth giving Tampa a 9-6 lead after four.

Goss crossed the plate in the fifth on Eric Dezell's single as Shippensburg closed Tampa's lead to two at 9-7.

Ferguson picked up his second RBI of the evening on a ground out to first, with Paul Cruz on third.

Once again Shippensburg closed the gap to two runs as Dezell drove in Kelly in the seventh.

Tampa added four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth highlighted by Rosenbaum's second two RBI hit of the game.

After the rough start Jackson (4-1) settled down and picked up his fourth win of the season, he pitched five innings and struck out four batters. Jonathan Holt kept up his torrid pace earning his 11th save of the year.

Tampa concludes their three-game set against the Raiders tomorrow with a double header beginning at 1:00 pm.