No. 5 Spartans Drop Series Opener to Rollins

Box score

TAMPA, Fla. - The. No. 5 University of Tampa Spartans baseball team (33-13, 14-8 SSC) fell to the visiting Rollins College Tars (21-26-1, 6-15-1 SSC) by a 12-11 score in the first game of a Sunshine State Conference three-game series, Friday night from UT baseball field.

The Tars took to the scoreboard first, rallying for five runs in the top of the first inning and gaining an lead. In the Tampa half of the inning, the Spartans picked up one run on a triple from Andrew Amaro and an RBI from Casey Scoggins, bringing the score to 5-1.

Neither team scored in the second inning, but the Spartans got their bats going in the bottom of the third to rack up three runs and come within one. Amaro led off the inning with a solo homer, then Scoggins and Stephen Dezzi followed with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Giovanny Alfonzo then earned an RBI on a groudout, and Nick Flair took first base on a single and advanced to second on an error that allowed Dezzi to cross the plate.

The fourth inning was quiet for both lineups, but the Tars came out in the fifth rallying for six runs on three hits and three Tampa errors, forcing an 11-4 Rollins lead.

Trailing by seven, the Spartans registered three runs in the bottom of the fifth on one hit, three walks, two errors, a wild pitch, and a fielder's choice. Chris Pagliarulo was the only Spartan to register a hit in the inning. Tampa closed out the inning with an 11-7 lead in favor of Rollins.

Both teams went three up, three down in the sixth inning, but the Spartans launched an offensive rally in the bottom of the seventh that would tie the game at 11-11. Senior Brett Jones led of the inning with a double to right-centerfield, and two outs later, the bases were loaded on walks to Pagliarulo and Amaro. Casey Scoggins then answered the call with a bunt single and using his speed to force a Rollins throwing error that allowed Jones and Pagliarulo to score. A walk to Dezii then loaded the bases again, allowing an RBI single off the bat of Alfonzo to score Scoggins and Amaro, tying the game at 11-all.

The eighth was scoreless for both teams, but a solo homerun in the top of the ninth put the Tars up by a 12-11 score. After the Spartans failed to score in the bottom of the inning, Tampa took home a 12-11 loss.

Senior lefty Chase Sparkman started on the mound for the Spartans in the contest, tossing 4.2 innings and allowing nine runs on eight hits and striking out five. Taylor Brookes closed out the fifth with a near-flawless outing, throwing 0.1 innings and allowing one hit with a strikeout.

Junior Kevin Martin threw the sixth and seventh innings, recording four strikeouts and permitting no Tars to reach base. Junior Dylan Barrow followed suit by allowing just one run and two hits during the eighth and ninth innings, striking out four. Despite the good outing, the righty would eventually earn the loss

As a team, the Spartans recorded ten hits on the evening, tallying 4 extra-base hits and walking eight times. Despite the loss, senior Andrew Amaro was strong offensively in the contest, registering a homerun, a triple and a double to fall just one single short of hitting for the cycle.

The Tampa Spartans will wrap up regular season play on Saturday when they host Rollins College in a doubleheader. The first game of the day is set for 1 p.m. Live stats will be available through Tampa.Statbroadcast.com.

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