
The Tampa Rundown
ICYMI – In case you missed, women's basketball, men's basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, men's golf, women's lacrosse, and men's lacrosse were all in action this past week.
Women's basketball had a pair of games as they hosted both Saint Leo University and Palm Beach Atlantic University. In the game against Saint Leo, Tampa used a strong offensive performance by Melijah Sullivan to claim a 73-58 victory. Sullivan scored a career-high 30 points in the victory. LaShayla Wright-Ponder also had a big game as she pulled in a career-high 16 rebounds. In the game against the Sailfish, the Spartans had to grind out the victory as they escaped the upset, winning 64-58. UT outscored PBA 21-12 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Wright-Ponder notched a double-double as she scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Men's basketball also played Saint Leo and Palm Beach Atlantic during the week. The Lions would best the Spartans 71-46 and PBA would defeat UT 85-52. Pat Bacon would lead the team in scoring in both contests.
Baseball hosted Post University for a three-game series at the UT Baseball Field. The Spartans would sweep the weekend series as they took the games by final scores of 10-3, 20-0, and 9-0. 14 different Spartans recorded hits over the weekend as Josh Rulli and Christian Flint led the way with five hits each. Rulli and Mauro Conde would each hit a home run over the weekend. Eight different UT pitchers saw time on the mound, Brandon Knarr, Nik Constantakos, and Jordan Leasure each earning wins.
Softball traveled to St. Augustine as they played in the Old Coast Classic hosted by Flagler College. The Spartans went 3-1, picking up wins over #24 Valdosta State and a pair over Wingate. Their loss over the weekend was to Flagler. Maddie Farrell collected the most hits over the weekend for UT and as a team, the Spartans hit four long balls. Bailey Phillips hit two, while Corynn Miner and Sam Kaye each hit one. In the circle, Miner led the way with a 2-0 record as she pitched 15 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out 15 batters. Mariah Galhouse recorded the other win for Tampa, as she threw eight innings with five strikeouts during the week.
Tennis had a pair of matches at home last week. They defeated the State College of Florida 7-0 on Wednesday. The Spartans were dominant in doubles play as they did not drop a single set. On Sunday, Tampa faced off against #13 Flagler College. The nationally ranked Flagler Saints would come out on top, beating the Spartans 6-1.
Men's golf traveled to Melbourne as they were in the Titan Winter Invitational. As a team, the Spartans finished in ninth place, led by Robert Montagnino. In the final round, Montagnino scored a UT-best round of 73.
Women's lacrosse was home for their season opener as the University of Alabama in Huntsville Charger squared off against the Spartans. UT used an explosive offensive performance winning the game by a dominating score of 22-11. Carly Vaccaro led the way for Tampa as she scored a program-record seven goals. She would also add three assists to tie the school record for points in a game (10). Hannah Bush also had a solid game as she recorded nine points in the win.
Men's lacrosse opened up the season with a top-15 matchup against the Queens University in Charlotte Royals. The Spartans would claim victory over the 14th ranked Royals 14-10. Bryan Wright led the way for the Tampa as he scored four goals in the victory. Scott Phillips anchored the defense as he caused three turnovers and picked up three groundballs.
This Week:
Women's basketball has one game this week on the road in Daytona Beach to take on the Embry-Riddle. The Spartans are 1-0 against the Eagles this year as they won at home 65-40. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
Men's basketball will also be on the road at Embry-Riddle to face the Eagles. UT won the first matchup back in January by a final of 92-81. The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Men's and Women's swimming will be at the SSC Championship this week as they look to claim the Sunshine State Conference title. The meet will begin on Thursday and will run through Sunday. The championships will be in Clearwater at the Clearwater Aquatic Center.
Baseball will hit the road this weekend as they travel to Jefferson City, Tennessee to face Carson-Newman University. The series will take place over three days as game on is set for Friday at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's game is set for 1:00 p.m., while Sunday's game is set for noon.
Softball will have a SSC series this weekend as they travel south to face Palm Beach Atlantic. The first game is set for Friday at 6:00 pm., while Saturday is a double-header scheduled to start at noon.
Tennis will also be in action against a conference foe as they travel to Ft. Lauderdale to take on the Nova Southeastern University Sharks. The Sharks are currently the fifth ranked team in the nation, and the match is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.
Men's golf will hit the links in St. Augustine as they will participate in the Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate tournament. Rounds 1&2 are today, while the final round is on Tuesday.
Women's golf will open up their spring season as they are participating in the World Golf Invitational in St. Augustine. Round one is today and the final round is set for tomorrow.
Men's lacrosse will be back at home on Saturday as they host Young Harris College. The game is set to begin at 1:00 p.m at Naimoli Field.