Bats Heat Up as Spartans Sweep Lynn
BOCA RATON, Fla. - A total of 20 runs in two games on Saturday was all the University of Tampa softball team needed to defeat Lynn University. The visiting Spartans concluded the three-game series sweep with a 9-7 victory in a nine inning game one and an 11-8 triumph in the second game of Saturday's twin bill. The Spartans improve to 27-13 on the season and 12-3 in the Sunshine State Conference to sit atop the league standings.
In game one, Tampa held a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning before Lynn crossed one in the fourth and three in the fifth. The Spartans also scored a run in the fifth to even the score at 6-6 as the game headed for extra innings. After Tampa scored a run in the eighth, the Knights knotted the score at 7-7 with a run in their half of the eighth. The Spartans displayed their resilience as they scored two on back-to-back home runs by Samantha Becker and Devlin Dougherty to take the 9-7 lead that was held for a victory.
Dougherty was the hero at the plate as she finished 4-5 with three RBI. Michele Horan added three hits while Becker and Kelly Glover had two hits apiece for a Tampa offense that had 15 hits.
Freshman Heather Van Landingham got the start and went 4.1 innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out five. She gave way to Krystal Crooks in the fifth, who went 2.1 innings of scoreless ball while allowing five hits. Dougherty pitched the final 2.1 innings for the Spartans and ran her record to 13-6 on the season with the victory. She gave up just one hit and struck out two as her lone run was unearned.
In game two, a 9-0 Tampa lead in the middle of the third was almost not enough as Lynn battled back to make it a game. The pesky Knights added a run in the bottom of the third and responded to two fifth inning UT runs with four in their half of the inning to make the score 11-5. Lynn scored three in the seventh as the Spartans registered the 11-8 win.
Dougherty got the start and received her 14th victory of the season as she went 4.1 innings. Van Landingham also saw 2.2 innings of work, striking out five.
At the plate, Kallan Casey went 3-4 with four RBI as Becker went 3-5. Dougherty also had another excellent game at the plate with a pair of hits and the RBI of her own. Horan also drove in two runs at the top of the order.
Tampa returns home for its final regular season series of the season at UT on Friday against Florida Tech. Game time is slated for 7 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader.