#3 Spartans Fall to Bucs in Series Opener

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The third-ranked University of Tampa baseball team lost its second consecutive game on Friday night for just the third time this season, falling to Barry University 4-2 in the first game of a three-game series. With the loss, Tampa falls to 36-9-1 on the season and 15-7 in the Sunshine State Conference, while Barry improves to 32-17 and 11-11 in conference action.

Ryan Williams led the Spartans with a 2-5 night, including his eighth double of the season in the third. Leo Alvarez went 1-2 in the game with a run scored and an RBI double. Kevin Ferguson got the start for the Spartans and kept the Spartans in the game for the first six innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. The senior left-handed pitcher also walked one and struck out three.

Barry and Tampa exchanged runs in the second inning as the Bucs tallied the game's first run on an RBI groundout by Yudelmis Hernandez to take a 1-0 lead. The Spartans then tied the score at 1-1 on an RBI double to right center by Alvarez, scoring Steven Broschofsky from first.

The Bucs reclaimed the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth on a pair of RBI singles by Hernandez and Brett Rossi to take a 3-1 advantage over the Spartans. Tampa then cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning when Alvarez came in from third on a Bucs error. Barry added an insurance run in the seventh with an RBI triple by John Servidio to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Tampa is back in action tomorrow when it honors its seniors before a doubleheader against the Bucs starting a 1 pm.