Tampa Finishes 3-0 Against Top Cuban Competition

HAVANA - The University of Tampa baseball team finished play in Cuba with an 8-6 victory over Mayabeque. UT concludes the trip with a perfect 3-0 record.

David Heintz started for head coach Joe Urso and threw 3.0 innings with two strikeouts. Jimmy Hodgskin followed Heintz and went 2.0 innings with three strikeouts.

Brett Jones earned the win as the junior went 2.2 innings. Kevin McNorton came on for the save, registering one punchout. McNorton earned saves on two of the three Spartan wins during the trip.

"The pitching staff did a good job overcoming some defensive mistakes," says head coach Joe Urso. "Offensively, Orlando Rivera was on base four times as Tyler Ding added two hits and two RBI."

Quinn Pippin hit a two-run double to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning. The two-out hit put Tampa on top 5-3 as the offense extended the lead as the pitching staff held on for the victory.

The defending national champions finished with eight hits on the day as Urso called it "a great all-around day."

Following are some quotes from Tampa players.

Kevin McNorton: "I was fortunate to throw in two games in Cuba. They called on me to finish the game after we took the lead. A walk and a hit and my defense finished the game for the victory. It was surely a great game and experience."

Brett Jones: "This was another great game and I was lucky that the offense came through for us. It was great to get experience in this game and give credit to a team effort for the success of this trip."

Quinn Pippin: "I was happy to help my team out, and the pitching helped preserve the win. This was a great end to an amazing trip."