Linder Dominates, Spartan Bats Come Alive at South Regional

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The No. 3 seed University of Tampa Spartans baseball team enjoyed an all-around effort against No. 2 seed Lee University at the NCAA South Regional for their second win in as many days.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: No. 3 Tampa Spartans 12, No. 2 Lee 7
Records: Tampa (18-4), Lee (35-10)
Location: Jim Spooner Field | Pensacola, Fla.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Flames piled on six runs in the top of the second inning to take a commanding lead. Tampa, however, would not go away quietly. | 6-0 Lee
• The Spartans woke up in a big way in the second inning with five runs scored. Josh Rulli's sac-fly brought home Jamarcus Lyons to get things moving; Jose Cadenas reached first on a bases-loaded walk that scored Sam Freitas; E.J. Cumbo singled to right field for two RBI in Christian Flint and J.D. Urso; and, lastly, Drew Ehrhard singled up the middle to score Cadenas. | 6-5 Lee
• Tampa's bats stayed hot in the bottom of the third with two additional runs added on a Flint double that scored Rulli and Urso. Tampa took its first lead of the game. | 7-6 Tampa
• Lyons two run jack in the bottom of the fourth scored Ehrhard, extending Tampa's lead to three. | 9-6 Tampa
• Lee added a run in the top of the fifth. | 9-7 Tampa
• The remainder of the game was all Tampa, as the Spartans found three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings cap off the comeback win. Lyons scored on a wild pitch; Cadenas scored on another wild pitch, and Cumbo scored on a Dan Sullivan groundout. | Final: 12-7 Tampa

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Several Spartans had multi-hit days at the plate: E.J. Cumbo went 2-for-4 with two RBI, Drew Ehrhard hit 2-for-5 with an RBI, and Jamarcus Lyons hit 2-for-3, including a homerun, with two RBI and two walks.
• Jose Cadenas, Christian Flint, and Josh Rulli, and Dan Sullivan each logged an RBI.
• Three Spartans walked twice: Cadenas, Freitas, and Lyons.
• UT batters drew eight walks to just four strikeouts.
• Eric Linder was dominant in relief, striking out 11 in seven innings, with just one earned run allowed.

UP NEXT: The Spartans move on and will play the winner of West Florida – Delta State tomorrow, May 29, at 4:00 p.m.

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