No. 2 Spartans Spear Sailfish in Saturday Doubleheader

Box score

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The No. 2 University of Tampa Spartans baseball team swept doubleheader play against the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish, Saturday afternoon. The Spartans picked up a quick 3-1 win in game one before forcing a 13-inning thriller in which Tampa came away with a 14-13 victory.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

The Spartans began the afternoon with a 3-1 victory, which came at the hands of senior lefty pitcher Chase Sparkman. Improving to 6-0 on the year, the starter tossed 6.1 innings, allowing no earned runs, nine hits, and striking out two. Reliever Dylan Barrow took the mound during the seventh inning, finishing up the game with a save and two strikeouts.

Neither team scored through the first four innings, and it was the Spartans who jumped on the scoreboard first, taking a one-run lead. In the top of the fifth inning, junior Zion Bell took first base on a walk and scored when senior Andrew Amaro ripped an RBI double down the leftfield line on the next play.

The top-ranked Spartans scored again in the top of the seventh inning, pushing their lead to two. After two quick outs, Bell singled to centerfield and soon after, Amaro took first base on a hit-by-pitch. With two runners on base, junior Casey Scoggins came up clutch with a double to leftfield.

A sacrifice flyout gave the Sailfish one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Spartans refused to surrender the lead. Up by one, Tampa tacked on another run in the top of the ninth inning when Scoggins picked up another RBI outfield single. With PBA unable to score in the bottom of the ninth, the No. 2 Spartans headed into the second game of the day with a 3-1 victory under their belts.

Game two of the Saturday doubleheader featured more offense on both sides of the ball, as the Spartans tallied 19 hits and six walks, forcing five PBA errors in the extra-innings contest. Tampa's Brett Jones also picked up the only stolen base of the game.

In their first at-bat of the contest, Tampa rallied for three runs on a single from Scoggins, a double from Nick Flair, and a two-run homerun from Giovanny Alfonzo. Stephen Dezzi also picked up an RBI in the inning.

The Sailfish responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, tying the score at 3-3, but the Spartans again took the lead in the top of the third when Nick Flair sent a sacrifice flyout to leftfield, scoring Brett Jones.

RBI from Jones and Dezzi in the top of the fourth put the Spartans ahead by three, but Palm Beach Atlantic scored three runs in the bottom of the same inning to tie the score at 6-6.

After two scoreless innings, the Sailfish rallied for a run in both the seventh and eighth innings, forcing an 8-6 lead. Despite trailing by two heading into their last at-bat, the No. 1 Spartans scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game and held Palm Beach Atlantic scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.

In the top of the tenth inning, Andrew Amaro led off the inning with a single, and Scoggins reached on a bunt to give the Spartans two base runners. After a sacrifice bunt from Jones advanced Amaro and Scoggins into scoring position, Stephen Dezzi was intentionally walked and the bases were loaded. One out later, Giovanny Alfonzo came up big with a base-clearing RBI double down the right-field line that put the Spartans ahead, 11-8.

Refusing defeat, the Sailfish forced a rally of their own in the bottom of the tenth inning, tying the score and extending the game to the eleventh.

Neither team scored in the twelfth inning, forcing the game to go thirteen. In the top of the inning, Bell jumpstarted a rally with a one-out infield single, advancing to second on a walk to freshman Paxton Sims. After a wild pitch allowed both runners to get into scoring position, an intentional walk to Scoggins loaded the bases as the Sailfish hoped to capitalize on a double-play. Brett Jones had other plans, however, as he singled to right field, scoring Bell and Sims and picking up his second and third RBI of the game. Dezzi then took advantage of Scoggins' speed on third, sending a sacrifice fly to centerfield and allowing Scoggins to take home. At the end of the inning, the Spartans led 14-11.

The Sailfish strung together a few plays in the bottom of the thirteenth, scoring two runs on a walk, three hits, and a sac fly. Despite PBA's efforts, the Spartans took home a hard-fought 14-13 victory.

Junior lefty Brad Hencke started on the mound for the Spartans in the second game, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing six runs. Junior lefty Michael Calkins took the mound in relief during the fourth, tossing 4.2 innings and allowing seven hits. He struck out two before Jake Mielock came in for 1.2 innings.

Senior Taylor Brookes took the mound in the eleventh inning, going two complete innings and allowing just one run on two hits. He went on to earn the victory, his first of the year.

In the bottom of the thirteenth, Brett Jones came out of left field to take the mound and close out the game. Holding PBA to just one run, the senior earned his first save of the year.

Between the two games, the Spartans tallied 23 hits, eight walks, and eight extra-base hits.

Defensively, the Spartans were led by first baseman Andrew Amaro and centerfielder Casey Scoggins, who recorded 11 and eight putouts, respectively. While Amaro was a leader in the infield, Scoggins used his speed in the outfield to make numerous heroic plays.

No. 2 Tampa is set to hit the field again on Wednesday, March 25 when they host the visiting Valdosta State Blazers in a midweek matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from UT Baseball Field on the campus of the University of Tampa. Live stats will be available through Tampa.Statbroadcast.com.

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