EJ Cumbo Sets NCAA Hits Record as #1 Tampa Completes Series Sweep Over Saint Leo

TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 1 University of Tampa Spartans took both games of Saturday's doubleheader against No. 3 Saint Leo University to complete the series sweep over the Lions. The Spartans are now three full games ahead of the Lions in the Sunshine State Conference standings with three games to play.

Needing two hits to tie the all-time NCAA Division II hits record, E.J. Cumbo set the record with three hits in game one. The record-breaking hit was an eighth-inning home run that drew a standing ovation from the home crowd. The previous mark was 366 career hits.

Game One Final: #1 Tampa Spartans 9, #3 Saint Leo Lions 3

Game Two Final: #1 Tampa Spartans 7, #3 Saint Leo Lions 5

Records: Tampa (42-5, 23-4 SSC), Saint Leo (37-9, 20-7 SSC)

Location: UT Baseball Field | Tampa, Fla. 

All-Time Series: The Spartans now hold a commanding 140-47 all-time record against the Lions.

GAME ONE

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Santiago Garavito went to the opposite field to plate the first run on a double down the rightfield line, scoring Mike Valdez. 1-0 Tampa | Bottom 2 
• Garavito added two more runs on the Spartans column with a 2-run home run, also scoring Brayden Woodburn. 3-0 Tampa | Bottom 4 
• UT extended its lead as Nico Saladino scored for the Spartans. 4-0 Tampa | Bottom 5
• After a solo home run in top of the sixth for the Lions, Garavito drove in two more runs with another double. Saladino would then score Garavito on a double for the third UT run of the inning. 7-1 Tampa | Bottom 6 
• Saint Leo added a solo home run in both the seventh and eighth innings. 7-3 Tampa | Top 8 
• Cumbo's record-setting hit was a two-run home run to extend the UT lead to six runs. 9-3 Tampa | Bottom 8

AT THE PLATE:

• Cumbo: 3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R
• J.P. Gates: 2-3, 1 R
• Valdez: 2-3, 1 R
• Garavito: 3-3, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R
• Saladino: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R

ON THE MOUND:

• Skylar Gonzalez improved to 13-0 on the season as he went a season-high 7.0 innings.
• Gates moved to the mound for his second save of the season. He tossed 2.0 scoreless innings without allowing a hit.

GAME TWO

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The game remained scoreless through 4-and-a-half innings before Gates singled home Anthony Nunez. 1-0 Tampa | Bottom 5 
• Saint Leo took its first lead of the series with a 4-run sixth inning. 4-1 SLU | Top 6 
• Danny Gutcher added a Spartan run with a solo home run in the sixth inning. 4-2 SLU | Bottom 6 
• The Lions responded with a run of their own on a Spartan error. 5-2 SLU | Top 7 
• Gates put the Spartans within one run with a 2-run homer, scoring Stephen Klein. 5-4 SLU | Bottom 7 
• Cumbo put Tampa back on top for good with a three-run home run, scoring Saladino and Valdez. 7-5 Tampa | Bottom 8

AT THE PLATE:

• Cumbo: 3-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R
• Gates: 2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

ON THE MOUND:

• Jake Stipp started for UT and tossed 5.1 innings. He allowed three runs while striking out six in the no-decision.
• The first Spartan reliever was Eli Thurmond, who pitched 2.2 innings to register the win as he moved to 3-0 on the season. He allowed just one earned run with four strikeouts.
• Third baseman Nunez shifted to the mound, throwing a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout for his second save of the season.

UP NEXT: No. 1 Tampa heads to Boca Raton for a three-game series at Lynn to conclude the regular season. Already clinching at least a share of the 2024 SSC Championship, the Spartans need just one victory to win outright. Head coach Joe Urso now stands at 997 career wins as a series sweep would represent a milestone win for the Tampa head coach.