Spartan Bats Use Big innings to Take Series With USI
Tampa took the rubber game of the matchup with the No. 23 Screaming Eagles.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | X | 15 | 19 | 1 |
TAMPA, Fla. - The No. 2 University of Tampa baseball team took the third and deciding game of a three-game series with No. 23 University of Southern Indiana.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: No. 2 Tampa Spartans 15, No. 23 Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles 7
Records: Tampa (7-2), Southern Indiana (1-2)
Location: UT Baseball Field | Tampa, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa leads the all-time series with Southern Indiana 4-3.
Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Vimeo
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Southern Indiana took a sizeable lead with a 5-run top of the fourth inning. A pair of UT errors allowed USI to grab a 5-0 lead.
- The comfortable Southern Indiana lead would be shrt-lived, as UT responded with nine runs in the home half of the fourth.
- Tampa's outburst was started by singles off the bats of Adrian Chacon, J.D. Osborne and Connor Crile. A Chris Gaffney double would score one, as Richie Rivera then cleared the bases with a 2-run homer. UT would then draw a pair of walks from Danny Lee and Kevin Santa, as Laz Rivera's double would score one. Following an error that allowed a Tampa run to score, Osborne connected on a 3-run home run to left field to give UT the 9-5 lead.
- USI would score one run in the fifth to cut the Tampa lead to 9-6.
- Tampa put up a 3-spot in the sixth on a solo shot from L. Rivera and a two-run single off the bat of Crile.
- The Screaming Eagles plated a run in the eighth to make it 12-7 Spartans.
- The Spartans would score three in the bottom of the eighth as Osborne singled and Vin Cosenzo doubled, and then crossed home on a Kyle Cotilletta single and Gaffney double. A wild pitch then allowed the third Spartan run to score, making it 15-7 Tampa.
INSIDE THE STATS:
- While slugging a home run with three RBI, Osborne had a team-high four hits while also scoring three times. He also drew a walk.
- Santa tallied three hits, while also drawing a walk and scoring a run.
- L. Rivera, Gaffney and R. Rivera each had a pair of hits while driving in two runs apiece.
- Freshman Jordan Leasure made his third start of the season, throwing 3.2 innings while allowing just two hits and striking out three. Of the five runs he gave up, none were earned.
- Colton Widdows picked up his first collegiate win to move to 1-0 on the year. The freshman pitched 4.1 innings, striking out three and scattering four hits.
- Another freshman pitched the ninth as Matt Wesoloski made his college debut with a scoreless frame. He struck out one USI hitter in the inning.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:
- The University of Tampa baseball team has four titles in the 21st century while only one other school, Southern Indiana, has more than one.
- A total of seven Spartans turned in a multiple hit performance.
- Each of UT's pitchers in the victory were true freshmen.
UP NEXT:
Tampa will travel to Clearwater, Fla., to face the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday at 1:05 p.m., at Spectrum Field in an exhibition. Fans can watch through TampaSpartans.tv.
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