Spartans Earn Shutout in Series Opener With Eckerd

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 5 University of Tampa Spartans took on the Eckerd College Tritons in the first of a three-game Sunshine State Conference series. Tampa outlasted the Tritons, winning 6-0 and improving to 31-9 on the year, while the Tritons drop to 12-27.

Tampa's starting pitcher Jon Keller, was lights out tonight, going six complete innings and only allowing two hits with five strikeouts. Keller moves to 2-3 with the win in the 2013 season.

The bullpen contributed in impressive fashion to close out the game. Preston Packrall, Caleb Kellogg and Brad Hencke each pitched a scoreless inning to preserve the shutout.

The Spartans carried a 3-0 lead going into the sixth inning and added three insurance runs in the eighth to bring the contest to its 6-0 final.

Center fielder Connor Obrochta and first baseman Sean O'Brien led the squad with both registering multiple hits as O'Brien was 3-for-4 with a run. Michael Danner, Zach Gawrych, Adam Pendleton and Jacob Tillotson each drove in a run.

The Spartans will continue their homestead and finish the three game series with a doubleheader against Eckerd College. The Sunshine State Conference match-up will start on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.tv.

Fans may follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/utspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers blAst, a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.