Spartans Split Stormy Doubleheader with Tars
WINTER PARK, Fla. - The University of Tampa baseball team split a doubleheader contest with Sunshine State Conference opponent Rollins College on Saturday. The games were delayed two and a half hours due to inclement weather. The end results bring Tampa to 25-6 (7-5 SSC) and Rollins to 19-10 (2-4 SSC).
Tampa's twinbill victory did not come easy for the Spartans despite being the first to score. After tacking on two runs in the first three innings, the Spartans allowed the Tars to tie it up in the bottom of the third.
Sophomore Zach Gawrych aided the Spartans in regaining their lead in the sixth inning. After notching a triple to right-center, Gawrych later crossed the plate on a pass ball. The Spartans held a 3-2 lead until the bottom of the eighth when the Tars managed to get three runs and their first lead of the game.
Trailing in the top of the ninth, the Spartans did not let their potential last at-bats go to waste. Sophomore Connor Obrochta led off the inning with a single, followed by a crucial pinch hit appearance by junior B.J. Zimmerman. Zimmerman's single advanced Obrochta to third, who was later plated by senior Andrew Jones.
A RBI by senior Damon Elder left the game tied at five runs apiece. A two-RBI single by Jake Schrader scored both Elder and Eric Grabe for the go-ahead and insurance run, respectively.
The Spartans managed to retire the next three Tar hitters and defeat Rollins, 7-5, in their second late-inning comeback win of the weekend.
Senior Sean Bierman pitched seven complete innings. Bierman allowed no earned runs, struck out six Tars and gave up only three hits. Evan Stobbs pitched one inning of relief, allowed four hits and three earned runs. Sophomore Preston Packrall secured the win after retiring all three batters that he faced.
Stobbs was awarded his third win as Packrall collected his sixth save of the season.
The second game of the doubleheader did not play out as well for the Tampa squad.
The Spartans scored one run in the top of the first only to give up three to the Tars in the bottom. Rollins added two more runs to their score the inning later, giving them an early 5-1 lead on Tampa.
Another Tar crossed the plate in the fifth inning, resulting in a 6-1 Rollins lead. The Spartans managed to collect one run in the last inning but failed to produce any more than that. With a final score of 6-2, Tampa picked up its sixth loss of the season.
Junior Ben Brown started the second game for Tampa. Brown tossed five complete innings, struck out four Tars, and allowed six earned runs. Fellow junior Michael Zaccardo pitched one inning of relief, allowed one hit and struck out the same number.
Three Spartans batted for a .400 clip or higher in the day's doubleheader. Gawrych went 5-for-8 with one double and two triples while Schrader went 4-for-8 with one double and three RBI. Obrochta went 3-for-7 with one RBI. Spartan offense recorded 16 hits total compared to the Tars' 19.
The Spartans will return to their home field on Friday night at 6 p.m. to face off against SSC foe Barry University in their first of a three-game series. Live stats and a webcast will be available through TampaSpartans.com.
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