Drew Ehrhard Sets SSC Hits Record as UT Cruises in NCAA Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Spring Hill
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
|
#5 Tampa
|
1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | X | 17 | 18 | 1 |
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa baseball team opened its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament with a 17-2 victory over Spring Hill College, with Drew Ehrhard breaking the Sunshine State Conference all-time hits record.
In the first inning, Jordan Lala scored the opening run on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Nunez. Tampa continued its offensive onslaught in the second inning, scoring three runs, highlighted by Drew Ehrhard's first of two home runs on the day.
Throughout the game, Tampa hitters displayed its prowess, collecting a total of 18 hits. Drew Ehrhard had an outstanding performance, going 5-for-6 at the plate, including a home run and five RBI. Already the UT all-time hits leader, Ehrhard needed four hits to match Dylan Harris (St. Leo/Nova Southeastern) as the SSC hits leader at 348. Ehrhard now has a total of 349 hits in his college career at Tampa.
Jose Cadenas was also instrumental, contributing four hits, including a triple, and four RBI. Jordan Lala and J.D. Urso added to the offensive showcase, tallying two hits each and driving in a combined four runs.
On the pitching front, Eric Linder started on the mound for Tampa and delivered an excellent performance. Linder pitched 6.0 innings, allowing only one earned run on four hits while striking out seven batters. Freshman Ashton Pocol closed out the game for Tampa, throwing 3.0 solid innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits. Pocol showcased his skills on the mound, recording three strikeouts and securing the save.
Spring Hill faced an uphill battle against Tampa's strong pitching staff. They managed to score two runs but struggled to generate consistent offense throughout the game. Ethan Valdez and Nick Hunter provided the only RBI for Spring Hill.
Logan Clark started on the mound for Spring Hill but had a challenging outing, surrendering six earned runs in four innings of work. The relievers Evan Langston and Matthew Delcambre also faced difficulties, giving up a combined 11 earned runs. Solon White provided some stability, pitching a scoreless inning in the final frame.
With the victory, Tampa will move on to face the winner of Thursday's game between Rollins and Valdosta State on Friday at 5 p.m. Spring Hill will meet the loser of the game on Friday at 1 p.m.