No. 2 Tampa Falls to Mississippi College as Choctaws Stage Late-Inning Comeback

CLINTON, Miss. – The Mississippi College Choctaws knocked off the No. 2 University of Tampa Spartans with a comeback in the late innings.

Final Score: Mississippi College Choctaws 4, No. 2 University of Tampa Spartans 3 

Records: Tampa (12-3), Mississippi College (6-11)

Location: Frierson Field || Clinton, Miss.

All-Time Series: Tampa leads the series 4-2.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Tampa opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Santiago Garavito led off with a single up the middle and Anthony Nunez followed up with an opposite-field double over the third base bag to set up two runners in scoring position with no outs. E.J. Cumbo kept the line moving with an RBI double off the right field wall. The following batter Nico Saladino brought in a second run with a sacrifice fly to center field. | 2-0 Spartans
• In the top of the third inning, a two-out single by Garavito and a wild pitch advanced the Spartans DH into scoring position. The following batter Nunez singled but Garavito was thrown out at home in a close play. 
• In the top of the sixth inning, Tampa extended its lead when Saladino barreled a 1-0 fastball and put it over the right field wall for a solo home run. | 3-0 Spartans
• In the bottom of the sixth inning, Caleb Reese answered back for Mississippi College with a solo shot of his own on the first pitch of the inning. | 3-1 Spartans
• In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Choctaws scratched across a pair of runs to tie the game. Back-to-back walks started the inning, and the first run came across as a throwing error by Drew Erhard on a potential 6-4-3 double play allowed the runner to score easily. Mississippi College knotted the score at three on a two-out single by Jordan Rollins. | Tied 3-3
• Jordan Lala led off the top of the ninth inning with a walk and stole second base on the first pitch of the next plate appearance. In the same play as the ball kicked to the backstop, Lala was thrown out at third trying to take another extra base.
• In the bottom of the ninth inning, two walks and a hit batsmen loaded the bases for Mississippi College with one out. Alex Canney entered to try and prevent the winning run from scoring, but the first batter he faced Cody Crifasi walked it off with a sacrifice fly to left field. | Final: 4-3 Choctaws

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Eli Thurmond turned out yet another quality start on the season, tossing 6 innings and allowing only 4 hits and 1 earned run
• Saladino went 2-2 with 1 home run, 2 RBI and 1 walk
• Nunez went 3-4 with 1 double
• Cumbo went 2-4 with 1 double and 1 RBI

UP NEXT: The rubber game of the three-game series between Tampa and Mississippi College will take place in Clinton on Sunday, March 5 at 1 p.m. ET.