Tampa Sends Tars Packing in Home Opener

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa baseball team won its home opener against Rollins College on Wednesday by a score of 14-5. The win improves the Spartans record to a perfect 4-0 while the Tars drop to 2-2. The Spartans outhit the Tars in the nonconference game 17 to six.

Starter Carmine Giardina earned the win pitching five innings of single hit baseball, giving up only one unearned run and striking out three. Senior Brad Roberts continued to tear up the bases by adding four hits on the night with three runs improving his average to a strong .650.

Early in the game, the Spartans began their scoring attack, capitalizing on a Mike Blanke single and a Larry Walicki RBI groundout, putting two runs on the board in the first inning. In the fourth inning UT added another four runs to their lead with RBI singles from shortstop Correy Figueroa, the hot hitting Roberts and Blanke, 7-1. Bottom of the sixth, Schwartz scored a run off a sacrifice fly by Blanke and Trace Venegas brought home pinch runner Dan Catalano and Jared Simon on his two RBI single to center, bumping the lead to a 10-1 deficit.

The seventh inning brought two long-balls from Schwartz and catcher Mike Bourdon. Schwartz hit his shot to left center scoring two, his second of the year while Bourdon's shot to center was his first at-bat of the year, also scoring two runs. The shots ended the Spartans offensive attack and increased their lead to a towering 14-1 at the end of the seventh inning.

The Tars woke up their bats for the eighth inning scoring four runs off of three hits, one of the hits being a Joey Manning home run to left center scoring two of the four runs of the inning.

The Spartans will face No. 5 Southern Arkansas in a four game home series this weekend, the first game slotted for Friday night at UT Baseball Field. The game will feature a pair of national top five powers.

Live stats and a webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.com.

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