No. 1 Tampa Sets New NCAA Record with Win Over FIT
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Florida Tech
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 |
|
Tampa
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 10 | 12 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Florida Tech
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
|
Tampa
|
2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 13 | 19 | 1 |
TAMPA, Fla. - Setting the new single season win percentage mark, the No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team swept its doubleheader against Florida Tech Sunday afternoon. The Spartans took the first game by a 10-1 score and then concluded their regular season with a 13-4 rout of the visiting Panthers.
Head coach Joe Urso's squad broke the previous NCAA Division II baseball record set by Savannah State in 2000 (46-3, .939 winning percentage) with a 47-2 campaign erasing the previous mark with a .959 season.
UT concludes Sunshine State Conference play with a 22-1 tally while FIT ends its season with a 25-22 record, 9-14 in SSC play. The Spartans have won their third straight and 16th overall SSC championship.
More history was made as senior Jacob Tillotson became the first player to play all nine positions in a single game as a Spartan. The utilityman concluded the second game striking out the side in the ninth after seeing action at each other fielding position for an entire inning of play. In addition to his perfect day in the field, Tillotson contributed two each of runs, hits and RBI to round out his historic performance.
Senior Quinn Pippin ravaged the Panthers pitching staff, putting forth a 4-for-7 day which included a solo home run, seven RBI and a pair of runs scored. Fellow senior Zach Gawrych notched six hits on the day, crossing the plate four times in his final regular season game.
Starting pitcher David Heintz (9-0) earned the 10-1 win for the premier game of the day. The sophomore spun five innings, scattering six hits while keeping FIT scoreless to shrink his ERA to 1.98 on the season.
Panthers hurler Scott Ward (5-2) was credited with the loss, tossing five complete frames while allowing six runs.
Senior Preston Packrall (9-0) started on the mound for the second contest, pitching five innings of three-run baseball to pick up the win. Tillotson threw the final three outs, striking out the side in his first collegiate pitching performance to preserve the 13-4 victory.
FIT pitcher Grant Willcoxon (4-5) was tabbed with the second game loss, allowing nine runs, three earned over two-plus innings of work.
The Spartans conclude the regular season with a program and NCAA best 47-2 record and await results of the post-season selection show.
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