Spartans Sweep Bay-Rival Eckerd

TAMPA, Fla. – The #1 University of Tampa Spartans sweep Eckerd in the day-night doubleheader and the series.

Game One Final: #1 Tampa Spartans 10, Eckerd Tritons 1

Game Two Final: #1 Tampa Spartans 12, Eckerd Tritons 0 (7 Innings)

Records: Tampa (37-4, 18-3 SSC), Eckerd (16-22, 5-16 SSC)

Location: Turley Athletic Complex | St. Petersburg, Fla. 

All-Time Series: Spartans improve to 126-43 over the Tritons and are winners of 6 straight over them.

GAME ONE

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After a J.P. Gates single and Santiago Garavito getting hit with a pitch, the Spartans were in business with two on and one out. Nico Saladino ripped a single through the right side to bring home Gates for the game's first run. Top 2 | 1-0 Tampa
• Anthony Nunez doubled and then stole third base. Mike Valdez would drive him in with a groundball to second. Top 3 | 2-0 Tampa
• Gates led off the fourth with a single up the middle. Garavito would connect for his eighth blast of the season. Saladino would follow going back-to-back. Later in the inning, Nunez would drive in E.J. Cumbo with a single. Top 4 | 6-0 Tampa
• Garavito once again followed what he did in the previous inning. This time, a 2-run shot to left to extend the Spartans lead. Top 5 | 8-0 Tampa
• The bases became loaded for the Spartans with a Jake Griffith single, Nunez walk, and Valdez hit by pitch. Brayden Woodburn would follow with a walk of his own to bring in Griffith. Top | 9-0 Tampa
• After a Saladino walk, T.J. Palma would bring him home with a double to right. Top 7 | 10-1 Tampa

AT THE PLATE:

• Garavito: 3-4, 4 RBI's, & 2 R's.
• Nunez: 3-4, BB, RBI, & R.
• Saladino: 2-4, BB, 2 RBI's, & 2 R's.
• Gates: 2-5 & 2 R's.

ON THE MOUND:

• Skylar Gonzalez improved to 11-0 on the season. He pitched 6 innings giving up 1 run while striking out 7.
• Andrew Carson came in relief for Gonzalez. He picked up his fourth save of the season. He pitched 3 scoreless innings and struck out 1 batter.

GAME TWO

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Woodburn led off the inning with a single and then stole second base. Gates followed driving him in for the game's first run. Later in the inning, Gates would come around to score on a sac fly by Danny Gutcher. Top 2 | 2-0 Tampa
• After Griffith walked and Nunez reached base due to an error by Eckerd's second basemen, Woodburn ripped a double down the left-field line to bring in Griffith. Gates followed replacing Woodburn with himself at second base to drive in Nunez and Woodburn. Top 3 | 5-0 Tampa
• After back-to-back walks to lead off the inning, the Spartans then got out twice; however, Griffith did not want both Gutcher and Macallister Jorgensen stranded on the base paths so he lifted his fourth home run of the season. Top 4 | 8-0 Tampa
• Tampa would load the bases up for Saladino. Saladino cracked his fifth home run of the season, this time a Grand Slam. Top 5 | 12-0 Tampa

AT THE PLATE:

• Gates: 3-4, 3 RBI's, & 2 R's.
• Woodburn: 2-3, RBI, & 2 R's.
• Cumbo: 2-4

ON THE MOUND:

• Jake Stipp started on the mound. He improved to 4-0 on the season. He pitched 6 scoreless innings while striking out 10.
• Eli Thurmond came in relief for Stipp. He pitched a scoreless seventh and struck out 2 batters.

UP NEXT: #1 Tampa will host a six-game home stand starting on Friday, April 26th, at 6:00 p.m., as Barry comes to town for three.