Spartans Top Eagles for Tuesday Night Win

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team defeated NAIA opponent Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University by a score of 9-5. The win improves the Spartans to 31-7, while causing the Eagles to fall to 34-14.

Embry-Riddle took the early lead in the top of the first inning after plating one unearned run. The Spartans would retaliate in the bottom of the second to tie the game. Senior Raiko Alfonso notched a double down the left field line, scoring Jake Schrader who had gotten on by a hit-by-pitch.

Tampa added onto its run total in the third inning. Three consecutive singles by seniors Damon Elder, Andrew Jones, and Eric Grabe started the inning. Grabe's hit scored both Elder and Jones to put the Spartans up 3-1. A RBI single by Alfonso would later score Grabe to give UT a three-run lead.

In the top of the fourth, Embry-Riddle responded by tacking on four more runs and regaining a lead. The Eagles were up 5-4 on the Spartans.

Both Carlos Saade and Jones launched homeruns to left field in the bottom of the inning. The two solo shots allowed Tampa to take back the lead. The homeruns mark Saade's first and Jones' fourth on the season.

Tampa scored three runs in its remaining four innings as Embry-Riddle failed to produce any more of its own. The Spartans defeated the Eagles by a four-run margin.

Three Spartans went 3-for-4 in the contest including Jones, Saade, and sophomore Shane Rowland. Two other Spartans, Elder and Alfonso, ended the game going 3-for-5. Elder, Grabe, and Alfonso each recorded two runs batted in.

The two teams combined for 32 hits on the night with the Spartans collecting 18 of them.

Junior southpaw Eric Luksis pitched the first four innings for the Spartans. Luksis walked none, struck out three Eagles and allowed the same number of earned runs. Both Justin Leith and Michael Zaccardo threw two innings of relief. Senior Ryan Kennedy threw for the final three outs. Leith recorded two strike outs and the win, The trio combined to allow no runs and only five hits.

The Spartans will return to their home field on Friday night to face Palm Beach Atlantic University at 6 p.m. The game will mark the first game of the teams' three-game weekend series. Live stats and a video webcast will be available through TampaSpartans.tv.

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