No. 1 Tampa Sweeps Georgia College, Improves to 6-0
TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 1 ranked University of Tampa baseball team closed out the weekend series against Georgia College with a 7-2 victory, Sunday afternoon from UT Baseball Stadium.
Junior lefty Brad Hencke received the start for the Spartans in the matchup, going five complete innings and earing the win. The lefty hurler allowed just four hits and two runs in the outing, striking out four and walking one. Junior RHP Dylan Barrow was the first out of the bullpen in relief for Hencke, tossing a complete inning in which he struck out three batters and allowed one hit.
Senior righty Brett Jones and junior lefty Kevin Martin tag-teamed to finish out the top of the seventh, and Martin again took the mound in the eighth before junior Zac Favre closed out the top of the ninth. The Spartans pitching staff combined for eight strikeouts on the day, allowing just seven hits and one walk.
Both teams came out swinging offensively in the Sunday afternoon contest, as the visiting Georgia College Bobcats recorded one run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Spartans responded quickly, tying the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first with a long homerun ball off the bat of senior Stephen Dezzi.
Although the Bobcats collected another run in the top of the second, the offense of the No. 1 Spartans refused to be outdone. Cody deNoyelles and Nick Tindall jumpstarted the inning with back-to-back singles, which designated hitter Joe Walsh followed up with an RBI single to score deNoyelles and tie the game at 2-2. Tindall scored on the next play - a fielder's choice that allowed Ty Cooler to take first base. A walk to Casey Scoggins then gave the Spartans two base runners, and a triple from Dezzi one out later cleared the bases and propelled Tampa to a 5-2 lead.
Tampa picked up an additional two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off a 2-RBI double from Nick Flair, giving the Spartans a 7-2 lead with five innings to play. Neither team would score again in the contest, as the Spartans picked up their sixth-straight win for the 2015 season.
The No. 1 Spartans will get back in action on Friday, February 13 when they host visiting Southern Indiana in the first of a three-day series. First pitch on Friday is slated for 6 p.m. at UT Baseball Field. Live stats as well as a live video webcast will be available through www.tampaspartans.tv.
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