#8 Tampa Prevails In Win Over #5 Trojans

Box score

GREENWOOD, S.C. - In their second national top 10 matchup of the season, the eighth-ranked University of Tampa baseball team continued its comeback ways with a 10-4 victory over No. 5 Mount Olive College. On the final day of the Lander Baseball Invitational, the Spartans (4-2) found themselves in a deficit early but put up their second straight double-digit run output to take the win over the Trojans (4-2).

Tampa managed just three hits through the first four innings allowing the 2008 national champion Trojans to collect a two-run lead off starter Eric Grabe. After Mount Olive put up a run in each of the second and fourth innings, the Spartan bats came alive in the fifth to fuel UT's third comeback win of the weekend.

Catcher Adam Pendleton led off the inning with a walk before Taylor Wrenn doubled. A Raiko Alfonso single drove in Pendleton before Pat Donahue knocked in a run with a groundout to tie the ballgame.

Tampa took its first lead of the afternoon in the next inning as it tacked on two more runs in the sixth. Freshman Tyler Ding doubled home Andrew Jones to make it 3-2 and Wrenn's RBI single pushed Graham Ramos across the dish to make it 4-2 in favor of UT.

A four-run seventh put the game out of reach for MOC as Pendleton capped off the inning with a two-run blast. After Tampa pushed the score to an even 10-2 in the eighth, Mount Olive scratched across a run in the bottom half of the frame and benefited from a bases-loaded balk to add another in the ninth to close out the scoring.

The Spartans went an imposing 7-for-7 at the plate with a runner on third and less than two outs.

Grabe left after four innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out five before giving way to the bullpen. Louisiana State transfer Shane Riedie (1-0) followed Grabe with three innings of his alone, giving up just one hit and one run, walking two and fanning three. Cody Davis threw one and one-third and left after loading the bases in the ninth. Mike Adams entered and, despite balking in a run, finished out the game and the Spartans' third victory of the weekend.

Pete Levitt (1-1) took the loss for Mount Olive.

Tampa will return home next weekend for a four-game set against South Region tournament frequenter Stillman College. The first game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and a Sunday finale scheduled for 11 a.m.

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