#16 Tampa Trounces Pumas

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 16 University of Tampa baseball team rolled past Saint Joseph's on Tuesday night, defeating the Pumas by a final score of 17-6. The Spartans are now 18-5 on the season while the Pumas drop to 4-5 overall.

The Spartans picked up a pair of runs in the second inning thanks to a Dylan Brown sacrifice fly and a Tyler Cox bunt single. Mike Blanke and Trace Venegas plated a run each in the third to give Tampa a 4-0 lead.

The Pumas got one back in the fourth, but Tampa added a four-spot in the bottom half of the inning. After Correy Figueroa walked and Cox singled, senior Mike Schwartz singled through the right side to clear the bases. Jared Simon followed with a double to score Schwartz and Patrick Donahue did the same, trading places with Simon to give the Spartans an 8-1 lead.

Saint Joseph's rebounded with a big inning in the fifth when the sent five across the plate. Four singles in the inning brought the Pumas to within three, but the Spartans put up a five-run inning of their own in the sixth to regain a comfortable lead.

Junior Dan Catalano added three more on the board for the Spartans in the eighth when he stroked a homer to deep left.

Jake Lowe (1-0) picked up the victory for the Spartans after entering in relief in the fifth with one out. Lowe tossed four and two-thirds innings for the Spartans, allowing just five hits while striking out five. Aaron Gerbasi started on the hill for UT and exited in the fifth with one out. Austin Wallace was tabbed with the loss for the Pumas after pitching two and one-third innings.

Tampa will continue its spring break home stand tomorrow night with a 6 p.m. contest against No. 13 Grand Valley State University.

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