No. 22 Valdosta State Defeats No. 2 Tampa in Ranked Matchup

Tampa, Fla. – The No. 22 Valdosta State University Blazers roared back to defeat the No. 2 University of Tampa Spartans in the late innings. 

Final Score:  No. 22 Valdosta State University Blazers 6, No. 2 University of Tampa Spartans 3 

Records: Tampa (17-4), Valdosta State (15-8) 

Location: UT Baseball Field || Tampa, Florida. 

All-Time Series: Tampa leads the series 34-23 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Valdosta State and Tampa pitching allowed just two hits each through the first six innings, but the Spartans got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning. Luis Rodriguez led off with a single and Jose Cadenas entered as a pinch runner for him. A sacrifice bunt by Danny Gutcher moved the runner into scoring position, but Blazers pitcher Zane Stephens struck out the next batter Jordan Lala for the second out. Stephens hit the next batter, bringing up J.D. Urso. The Spartans shortstop pulled a line drive that the left fielder Jovanni Canegitta misplayed, allowing both runners to score. | 2-0 Spartans
• The Blazers would answer back and then pour it on in the top of the eighth inning. After a one-out walk, Tampa decided to pull reliever Paul Sullivan and Dalton Ross entered as his replacement. The first two batters he faced singled with the latter by JP Gates scoring a run. Valdosta State tied the game in the next plate appearance as a bunt could not be transferred cleanly by Ross as Nick Gonzalez raced home to score. As the inning continued with runners on the corners, a stolen base by pinch runner Deven Tedders led to the choice of walking Canegitta to load the bases. The gamble did not pay off for the Spartans as pinch hitter Jakob Sessa tucked a hard grounder inside the first base bag that went to the right field corner for a bases-clearing triple. The Blazers added one more run as the following batter Bryson Gandy singled Sessa home. | 6-2 Blazers
• Tampa began a comeback effort in the bottom of the eighth inning. In his first at-bat of the evening, Cadenas tripled on a fly ball that dropped by the right field line. Two batters later, Lala brought him in with a base hit up the middle. | 6-3 Blazers
• Anthony Martens entered to pitch for Valdosta State after Lala's single and retired the next four batters over 1 1/3 innings pitched to earn the save. | Final: 6-3 Blazers

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Alex Canney, Ashton Pocol, Jack Brodsky and Braydon Nelson combined to allow two hits and two walks over the first 7 innings pitched
• Lala went 1-3 with 2 walks, 2 stolen bases and 1 RBI
• Urso had 2 RBI with 1 hit and 1 walk
• Cadenas scored 2 runs and had 1 triple

UP NEXT: The Spartans will begin a three-game series at Florida Southern on Friday, March 17 at 6 p.m.