No. 1 Spartans Spear Bobcats in Saturday Doubleheader
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Georgia College
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
|
Tampa
|
1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 7 | 10 | 1 |
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Georgia College
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
|
Tampa
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 5 | 11 | 0 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Georgia College
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 |
|
Tampa
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 1 |
TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 1 University of Tampa Spartans baseball team swept the visiting Georgia College Bobcats in doubleheader action, Saturday afternoon from UT Baseball Stadium. After defeating Georgia College by a 5-3 score in game one, the Spartans came from behind in game two to force an 8-7 victory.
The first game of the day featured a 5-3 victory over the Georgia College Bobcats in the series opener. Junior RHP David Heintz took the mound to begin the day's action, tossing six complete innings and allowing just two hits in the outing. The starter struck out six in the no decision.
Junior Dylan Barrow appeared first for the Spartans in relief duties, throwing two thirds of an inning before junior Michael Calkins took the mound. It was Calkins who earned the win in the early afternoon contest, tossing two innings and allowing four hits while striking out one. Junior righty Zac Favre closed out the pitching duties for Tampa in the win, pitching the top of the ninth and earning the Spartan' first save of the season.
The Spartans jumped on the scoreboard early on, picking up one run in the bottom of the first thanks to a single up the middle from senior Stephen Dezzi that allowed junior Casey Scoggins to score.
Both teams were relatively quiet offensively until the bottom of the fourth, when the Spartans racked up two more runs on three hits. Nick Flair, Ian Townsend, and Cody deNoyelles, all registered hits in the half inning, and Nick Tindall earned an RBI on a sacrifice flyout.
The Bobcats tied the score in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs on two hits and two walks. Tampa responded in the bottom of the inning, however, to take back the lead on a sacrifice flyout from Nick Flair. In the bottom of the eighth, the Spartans extended the lead to 5-3 when Cody deNoyelles sent a homerun ball screeching over the left field fence. Georgia College was unable to reduce the deficit in the top of the ninth, and the Spartans took home a 5-3 victory.
After a short intermission, the No. 1 ranked Spartans returned to the field in the second game to earn an 8-7 win and improve to 5-0 on the year.
The No. 1 Tampa offense kicked in right where it left off in game one, rallying for two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. Senior Giovanny Alfonzo led off the inning with a single to centerfield, and Nick Flair followed up with an outfield single to give the Spartans two base runners. A sacrifice flyout from Ian Townsend then scored Alfonzo, giving the Spartans their first lead of the game. Before the inning ended, deNoyelles, who has been hot offensively so far this year, picked up another RBI with an outfield single that scored Flair.
After Casey Scoggins, Keaton Aldridge, and Giovanny Alfonzo loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, senior Stephen Dezzi picked up an RBI walk to increase the Spartans' lead to 3-0.
Georgia College responded quickly, scoring four runs in the top of the third off four hits, a walk, an error, and a hit-by-pitch. The lead change marked the first time this season that the Spartans trailed their opponent.
A scoreless fourth inning turned into the top of the fifth, in which the Bobcats scored three more runs to take a 7-3 lead. This time, however, Tampa's offense exploded in response, as the Spartans rallied for five runs on seven hits to take back the lead.
Alfonzo and Dezzi jumpstarted the inning with back-to-back outfield singles, advancing one base each on a Bobcat wild pitch. Back-to-back RBI singles from Flair and Townsend then brought the score to 7-5, but Tampa's momentum was just beginning. After a Georgia College pitching change, deNoyelles singled to left centerfield to loaded the bases. One out later, Pagliarulo sent an RBI single to the outfield that plated both Townsend and Flair. The Bobcats then recorded another out, but were unable to get out of the inning before Scoggins ripped an RBI single to left centerfield, scoring deNoyelles and giving the Spartans an 8-7 lead.
After a scoreless sixth and top of the seventh, the Spartans ended the contest with an 8-7 victory.
Senior lefty Chase Sparkman got the start for the Spartans in the second game of the day, which was pre-determined to be a seven-inning contest. The senior tossed two and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks, before Jake Mielock, Kevin Martin, Chris Frosch, and Logan LaPace made relief appearances. The pitching staff combined for ten strikeouts on the day, improving the Spartans' record to 5-0 on the season.
On the day, Tampa tallied 24 hits, five walks, and four stolen bases.
The No. 1 Spartans will wrap up the series on Sunday, February 8 with a 1 p.m. contest against Georgia College. Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.tv.
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