Spartans Send Saints Marching

TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 2 University of Tampa baseball team played a double header against the No. 17 ranked Flagler College Saints and took the series 2-1.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: No. 2 Tampa Spartans 16, No. 17 Flagler Saints 3
Records: Tampa (10-4), Flagler (14-4)
Location: Drysdale Field | St. Augustine, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa leads the all-time series with Flagler 5-1-1.
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HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2):

• Danny Lee walked to start the top of the first inning. Kevin Santa came up to the plate next and homered to right field giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead to start the game. Laz Rivera was hit by the pitch and Garrett Back pinch ran in Rivera's place. J.D. Osborne came up to bat and doubled down the right field line advancing Back to third. Vin Cosenzo reached on a catcher's interference and when Connor Crile came up to bat he singled through the left side, socring Back and Osborne and giving UT a 4-0 lead. 
• In the top of the second, Lee walked again to start the inning. Adrian Chacon singled to right center and advanced Lee to third. Osborne struck again and singled through the left side bringing Lee home and giving the Spartans another run, 5-0. 
• Cosenzo walked to begin the top of the third. Crile singled through the right side and Cosenzo advanced to third base. Richie Rivera hit a sacrifice bunt that would score Cosenzo, giving the Spartans another run, 6-0. 
• Santa singled through the right side to open up the top of the fourth. Back sacrifice bunted and advanced Santa to second. Osborne doubled to second base and scored Santa increasing the Spartans lead to 7-0. The bottom of the fourth brought four runs in for the Saints and made the score 7-4 heading into the fifth inning.
• In the top of the sixth, Back walked. Chacon was hit by the pitch and Back advanced to second. Osborne came up to bat and homered to left field and scored Back and Chacon, making the score 10-4. 
• In the top of the eigth Santa walked to start the inning. Chacon singled to third base and advanced Santa to second. Osborne singled to left field, loading the bases. All hitters advanced on a wild pitch, and Santa scored making it 11-4.
• The Spartans went on to win game two 11-4. 

HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 3):

•  In the top of the third Chris Gaffney homered down the left field line. Miller singled to left field and R. Rivera reached on a throwing error and advanced Miller to second. Lee reached on a fielder's choice advancing R. Rivera to second. Santa singled through the right side scoring R. Rivera. After a single from Osborne, Lee came across the plate. Cosenzo singled to shortstop scoring Osborne. In the bottom of the third, the Saints scored two runs making the score 5-2. 
• The Spartans scored two more runs in the top of the fourth and fifth and scored three runs in the top of the sixth to make the score 12-2.
• In the top of the seventh, Osborne homered to center field and brought Santa across the plate and extended the Spartans lead to 14-2. 
• In the top of the eighth, Miller homered to left center scoring Crile and giving UT two more runs.
• In the bottom of the ninth, the Saints homered giving them another run but not enough to catch the Spartans. UT took the series with a score of 16-3.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Osborne went 8-8 with nine RBIs and one home run.
• Santa went 4-10 with four RBIs.
• Miller went 4-5 with four RBIs. 
• Christian Calleja got the win after pitching six innings only allowing two runs.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

•  This was the highest scoring game of the season for the Spartans. 

UP NEXT:
Tampa will return to action on Friday at 6 pm when they host the Saint Leo University Lions for a weekend series. Fans can watch through TampaSpartans.tv.

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