Spartans Take Series with Sweep of Florida Tech

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The fourth-ranked University of Tampa baseball team reached the 30-win plateau for the 25th consecutive season following a doubleheader sweep of Florida Tech. The Spartans won the first game 9-6, and recorded a 5-3 victory in game two to improve to 30-7-1 overall this season, and 10-5 in the Sunshine State Conference, while the Panthers fall to 29-15-1 this season, and 11-10 in Sunshine State Conference play.

Paul Cruz led the Spartans with four hits in the doubleheader sweep, including two doubles, three runs scored, and three RBI. Nolan Brannon added three RBI as part of a 3-6 day, including a double. Steven Broschofsky led Tampa with four RBI on a pair of two-run doubles.

Josh Bowman got the start in game one and threw six solid innings to improve to 4-0 in his freshman season. The native of St. Petersburg, Fla. allowed three unearned runs on six hits, walking one and striking out six. Scott Chapman pitched into the sixth inning in game two, allowing one run on five hits, walking one and striking out three.

Tampa scored first in both games of the doubleheader, crossing the plate four times in the first inning of game one, and twice in the first frame of game two. Following walks by Cruz and Jose Jimenez, and a single by Jesus Barroso, Brannon stroked a two-run single to center field to score Cruz and Barroso and put the Spartans up 2-0. Broschofsky followed later in the inning with a two-run double to left field that scored Brannon and Jimenez to give Tampa an early 4-0 advantage.

With the Spartans leading 5-0 after a fourth inning RBI single by Cruz, Florida Tech scored three runs in the fifth on an error and a two-run run single by Brandon Twomey to cut the Tampa lead to 5-3. Tampa widened the lead to 8-3 with three runs of its own in the sxith on a two-run double by Cruz, and an RBI single by Barroso.

Tampa and Florida Tech traded runs in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Twomey, and a sacrifice fly by Jimenez, giving the Spartans a 9-4 lead heading into the ninth. Florida Tech scored twice in the ninth to cut the lead to 9-6 when Anthony Perez came in to record the final out, and his NCAA II leading 13th save of the season.

The Spartans got off to a fast start in game two as well, scoring twice in the first inning on a two-run double by Broschofsky to take an early 2-0 against the Panthers. Tampa widened the lead to 5-0 with one run in each of the third and fourth innings on an RBI double by Brannon, and a Panther error.

Florida Tech scored once in the sixth, and twice in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-3, but was unable to get any closer as Rick Hudson struck out the last batter of the game looking to secure the 5-3 victory for the Spartans.

Tampa returns to the field for a non-conference matchup against Saint Leo at home on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 7 pm.