Spartans Sweep on Opening Day

TAMPA, Fla. –  The University of Tampa softball team swept Ursuline College on Sunday afternoon, out-scoring the Arrows 14-0 in two games. In the two-game series, the Spartans' pitching staff did not walk an Ursuline batter.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP (Game One):

Final: Tampa 8 (W: Makaleigh Dooley, 1-0), Ursuline 0 (L: Sadie Jones, 0-1)
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (1-0), Ursuline College Arrows (0-1)
Location: Naimoli Family Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: Tampa has won both games against the Arrows, as the first meeting took place in Clearwater in 2016.  
Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Bot 1st: The Spartans opened the season with a four-run first inning. After a Cristina Clauberg single through the left side, Ursuline's Sadie Jones plunked the next two batters to load the bases for Corynn Miner. Miner, a red-shirt sophomore, put the ball in play for a sacrifice fly to drive in Clauberg for the season's first run. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, the Spartans compiled three straight singles from Bailey Phillips, Maddie Farrell, and Lexie Chevalier to extend the lead to 4-0.

Bot 4th: Tampa loaded the bases after a walk and two errors on the Arrows' defense. Miner stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a triple to right-center field. Phillips brought Miner home from third with a single through the left side.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Dooley pitched a complete game; five innings with six strikeouts and the senior allowed only one hit. The four-year starter threw only 55 pitches in five innings of work. 
• Clauberg and Phillips each went 2-3, and combined for three runs scored. 
• With two outs, the Spartans drove in seven runs and went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• The Spartans have not lost on opening day since 2010. 
• Dooley picked up where she left off last season, as she set career-highs in starts (32) and complete games (30).

INSIDE THE MATCHUP (Game Two):

Final: Tampa 6 (Corynn Miner, 1-0), Ursuline 0 (Brooklyn Miller, 0-1)
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (2-0), Ursuline College Arrows (0-2)
Location: Naimoli Family Stadium | Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: Tampa has won all three games against the Arrows, as the first meeting took place in Clearwater in 2016.  
Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Bot 4th: The middle of the order grinded to load the bases with two singles and hit-by-pitch. Lexie Chevalier, a freshman from Bloomingdale HS in Valrico, came up clutch in her first day as a Spartan. Chevalier roped a stand-up triple to deep left field and drove in three runs. After a pitching change for Ursuline, Sam Worrell stepped to the plate with the bases juiced. The transfer from USF battled to a full count and walked in the Spartans' fifth run of the game.

Bot 5th: Farrell reached on an error by the first basemen and Sam Kaye pinch-hit for Chevalier. Kaye walked on her 10th career plate appearance which set the table for freshman, Stephanie Balmer. Balmer, a utility player from Steinbrenner HS, recorded her first career hit with a slicer down the right field line which scored the Spartans' final two runs.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Miner, red-shirted last season due to injury, returned to form with a complete game shut-out as she logged three strikeouts and allowed four hits. 
• UT worked eight walks against the Arrows' pitching staff.
• Tampa left 11 runners on base in comparision to Ursuline's four LOB.
• The Spartans did not committ an error in the contest.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• The Spartans have not lost on opening day since 2010.

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa will head to the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater this weekend for a three-day round robin.

• SCHEDULE: 
  • Friday:
    • 2:30 p.m. vs. Indianapolis
    • 6:30 p.m. vs. West Georgia
  • Saturday:
    • 2:30 p.m. vs. West Chester (PA)
    • 6:30 p.m. vs. Southern Arkansas
  • Sunday:
    • 11:00 a.m. vs. Valdosta State

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