No. 1 Tampa Sweeps Defending SSC Champion Barry
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa baseball team took both games of its Saturday doubleheader against Sunshine State Conference foe Barry University, sweeping the weekend series. The wins improve Tampa to 28-6 (10-5 SSC) while Barry falls to 15-17 (8-7 SSC).
The first game was won by a towering 21-1 margin as the UT squad notched 16 hits to Barry's five. B.J. Zimmerman hit a perfect 4-for-4 in the game one victory, plating three Spartan batters including a solo home run, his first of the season.
Right fielder Tyler Ding also posted three hits in as many chances with a RBI. Second baseman Raiko Alfonso swung 2-for-3 with a grand slam, ending the contest with five RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Zach Gawrych also notched two hits in three at-bats, collecting one RBI.
Tampa starter Sean Bierman tossed a gem, pitching six shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out 10 batters, nine swinging. The win improves the senior's record to 5-2 on the season.
Aaron Gerbasi, Mike Adams, and Ryan Kennedy each pitched one inning of relief for the Spartans. The three combined to allow only one hit, strike out three Bucs, and give up one unearned run.
The Spartans took the early lead in the second game of the twinbill after a sacrifice fly by senior Eric Grabe scored sophomore Connor Obrochta, who had gotten on by a lead-off walk.
Tampa added onto its one-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. An Adam Pendleton double plated one Spartan while an Obrochta single scored two.
Barry answered back in the top of the fifth by scoring one run of its own, cutting the Spartans lead to 4-1. Tampa held on to its three-run lead until the final out of the game to take the second game of the twinbill and sweep the conference series.
Two Spartans, Pendleton and Jake Schrader, went 2-for-3 in the game, while Obrochta, Grabe, and Zimmerman each collected one hit in their two at-bats. The Spartans totaled eight hits in the game.
Junior Ben Brown started on the mound for Tampa. Brown pitched four complete innings, allowing only three hits, one earned run, and striking out two Bucs. Sophomore Preston Packrall threw three innings of relief, allowed no hit and struck out two.
Tampa returns to the diamond on Friday, where it will face SSC rival Florida Southern College at 6 p.m. Live stats and a video webcast will be available through TampaSpartans.tv.
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