#1 Spartans Give #5 Griffins First Loss

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team picked up another win on Sunday when they defeated No. 5 Seton Hill University. The win improves Tampa to 13-2 on the season, while giving Seton Hill, now 7-1, their first loss.

Tampa took the early lead in the bottom of the first inning when senior Andrew Jones hit a solo homerun to centerfield. The score became 1-0 and remained that way until the sixth inning.

Following a one-run inning by Seton Hill, the Spartans tacked on three of their own. A pair of singles by seniors Damon Elder and Jones drove in one run and two runs, respectively.

The Griffins would go on to score one run in both the seventh and eighth innings. A two-run homerun by senior Eric Grabe and a two-RBI double by Heath Pritchard in the eighth put the Spartans up 8-3. The homerun was Grabe's second of the weekend.

A three-run homer by Seton Hill in the ninth cut the Spartans lead to only two. With a score of 8-6, Preston Packrall came in to pitch and successfully get the final out of the game, yielding a Spartan victory. The save marks Packrall's first of the season.

Lefty Eric Luksis started on the mound for Tampa. Luksis threw for 5.1 innings, let up four hits, one earned run, and struck out three Griffins. Senior Evan Stobbs pitched 3.1 innings of relief, recorded six strike outs and his first win of the season.

Spartan offense out-hit the Griffins 13 to 10. Seton Hill starter managed to strike out five Spartans total.

Tampa is back on their home field tomorrow night to play Saint Joseph's College at 7 p.m. Live stats and a webcast will be available through TampaSpartans.com.

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