Spartan Rally Falls Short Against Florida Tech

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The fourth-ranked University of Tampa baseball team battled back from a six run deficit with a six run seventh inning, only to fall to the Panthers of Florida Tech 11-10. The Spartans fall to 28-7-1 overall and 8-5 in the Sunshine State Conference, while Florida Tech improves to 29-13-1 overall and 11-8 in the Sunshine State Conference.

Steven Broschofsky was 1-3 in the loss with three runs scored, including a long three-run home run in the fourth inning. Paul Cruz and Ryan Williams each had two hits in the game for the Spartans. Jose Jimenez added to his team-leading walk total with three in the game, and now stands at 38 for the year.

Kevin Ferguson got the start for the Spartans and threw the first six innings, allowing seven runs, six earned, on five hits. The senior walked one and struck out nine in his 10th start of the season. Anthony Perez allowed two unearned runs on one hit in one inning of work, walking one and striking out two.

Florida Tech opened the scoring in the second inning on a leadoff solo home run by Kevin Villa, his fourth of the season, which gave the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. The Panthers added four runs in the fourth on a grand slam by Michael Demma, to take a 5-0 advantage into the bottom of the fourth inning. The Spartans got three runs back in the bottom of the inning on Broschofsky's third home run of the season, a three-run shot to left field to cut the Panthers' lead to 5-3 heading into the fifth inning.

Florida Tech added two runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings to extend the lead to 9-3. The Panthers' two runs in the sixth came courtesy of Villa's second home run of the game, a two-run shot that pushed Mitch Saum across the plate. Tech's two runs in the seventh came on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Villa, his fourth RBI of the night.

The Spartans tied the score at 9-9 with six runs in the bottom of the seventh on just one hit, taking advantage of five walks and three errors. Tampa's ninth run of the night came courtesy of a fielding miscue by the Panthers, allowing Williams to reach at first and Junior Mejia to come in from third to score the tying run.

Florida Tech regained the lead in the top of the eighth, however, scoring two runs on one hit and two errors by the Spartans to take an 11-9 on a wild pitch and an error. Tampa cut into the lead with one run in the bottom of the inning, getting an RBI single from Cruz that scored Broschofsky to make it 11-10 in favor of the Panthers.

Tampa and Florida Tech will conclude the three-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow. Game one is scheduled to begin at 1 pm, with the second game following thirty minutes afterwards.