Mount Olive Trojans Upset Spartans in Season Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#7 Mount Olive
|
0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 1 |
|
#1 Tampa
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Tampa, Fla. – No. 1 ranked defending National Champions Tampa Spartans were upset by the No. 7 ranked Mount Olive Trojans in the season opener.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: #7 Mount Olive Trojans 11, #1 Tampa Spartans 3
Records: Tampa (0-1, 0-0 SSC), Mount Olive (1-0, 0-0 CC)
Location: UT Baseball Field | Tampa, Fla.
All-time Series: The all-time series is now tied between the two programs at 2-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Trojans jumped out to an early lead in the third inning, but the Spartans battled back in the bottom half as Spartan-newcomer Jose Cadenas lifted a solo-homerun to left center field. After Drew Ehrhard was hit by a pitch, sophomore Luke McDonald hit a two run homer to narrow the deficit to just one. || Bot. 3 || 4-3 Mount Olive
- Mount Olive answered back with three runs in the fifth inning, followed by two more in the eighth, giving the Trojans a comfortable lead going into the ninth. || Top 8 || 9-3 Mount Olive
INSIDE THE STATS:
- Ehrhard finished the night 2-for-3 with one run scored.
- McDonald finished with one HR and 2 RBIs.
- Starting pitcher Brandon Knarr had six strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched.
OUTSIDE THE BOX:
- Tonight was the worst season opening loss since 2006, when the Spartans lost to Georgia College 20-8 on February 3rd, 2006.
- The Spartans would follow up that 2006 season winning the Division II National Championship.
- Luke McDonald hit his second career homerun with his third inning blast.
UP NEXT:
The Spartans will have a chance at redemption tomorrow afternoon when they face-off against Queens University (N.C.) at 5 P.M.
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