Win Streak Reaches 25 Games As Spartans Sweep Eagles

Daytona Beach, Fla. - The University of Tampa's Softball team stayed in Daytona Beach for games two and three of the teams weekend series with Embry-Riddle. After last night's dramatic last inning comeback, the Spartans knew they needed to come out swinging against a hungry Eagles side. With an opportunity to extend the win streak to 25 wins, Tampa brought the energy and backed it up with excellent play. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Records: #2 Tampa Spartans 29-1 (12-0 SSC), Embry-Riddle Eagles 18-12 (6-9 SSC)

Location: Radiology Associates Field l Daytona Beach, Fla

History: These contests were the 26th and 27th all-time between these two programs, Tampa leads the series 23-4. 

Game One Final: #2 Tampa 13, Embry-Riddle 1

Game Two Final: #2 Tampa 1, Embry-RIddle 0

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME ONE:

To begin today's double header, Lauren Fantone did what any good leadoff hitter does and drew a walk. After advancing around the bases on a sacrifice bunt and dirt ball read, Fantone was driven in by Kinnah Kreidler. Kreider doubled down the left field line to score the first of what would be many Tampa runs. In the circle for the Spartans, Kate DeSimone was outstanding. Starting the first inning, she posted five scoreless innings while only allowing five total hits. After her first zero in the bottom in the first, the Tampa offense went right back to work. Abby Sulte led off the top of the second with a single, scoring a batter later on a Kelsey Winters double to right center. Lilly Kiester and Lauren Fantone both reached base with two outs before Kinnah Kreidler singled to bring home Fantone and Winters. Embry-Riddle was able to limit the damage but the Spartans had opened up a 4-0 lead. DeSimone sat the Eagles bats in order in the bottom half of the second before ERAU returned the favor in the top of the third. Embry-Riddle was able to get on the board with a long ball in the bottom of the third but this was the only run Desimone allowed for the rest of the game. In response to ERAU cutting the Tampa lead to 4-1, the Spartans tacked on three runs in the top of the fourth with RBI singles from Lilly Kiester and Mariah Galhouse. Kate DeSimone picked up her teammates after they gave her some insurance runs by throwing up zero's in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings. With a 7-1 lead heading into the top of the sixth, the Spartans decided they wanted to end game one early. After Fantone doubled to lead off the inning, Lilly Kiester singled to bring her home. With Kiester running wild on the basepaths, Kinnah Kreidler drew a walk before Mariah Galhouse homered to score them all. Tampa was not done yet as following an Alexa Russo single, Abby Sulte went deep for the second homerun of the inning. These six runs put the Spartans in mercy rule territory with three outs to get. While the Eagles were able to earn a leadoff baserunner, DeSimone sat the next three batters down in order to lock up the game one win. 

INSIDE THE STATS: 

• Kate DeSimone final line - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 SO

• Mariah Galhouse records 5 RBI's (3 Run HR)

• Every 2-9 Starter recorded at least one hit 

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO:

Game two of this afternoon's double header can only be described as an electric pitchers duel. Despite putting up 13 runs in game one, offense did not come easy to the Spartans in game two. The contest started with the starter for ERAU going 1-2-3 in the top of the first. Mariah Galhouse got the start in the circle for the Spartans and matched the zero despite an Eagle base hit. This was the first inning of a common trend in this game, both pitchers matching each other's scoreless innings. It would not be until the top of the fourth inning that the Spartans earned their first base runner. Lauren Fantone led the inning off with a single to left field before reaching second base on a Lilly Kiester sacrifice bunt. Unfortunately for Tampa, ERAU was able to make plays on the next two balls put in play and the game remained 0-0. The Eagles answered the Fantone single with one of their own in the bottom of the fourth but the nationally ranked Spartans defense was able to shut down any ideas of a run. Scoreless through four, both teams entered the final three innings knowing whoever struck first was going to pull this one out. Both offenses were able to manufacture a bare runner to second base in the fifth inning but Galhouse and her ERAU counterpart kept the score line 0-0. For the third straight inning, the Spartans leadoff hitter successfully reached base with Devin Hammonds drawing a walk. Hammonds was able to steal second before Lilly Kiester drew a walk of her own. With a runner in scoring position, Kinnah Kreidler delivered the biggest hit of the game to score Hammonds. Kridler barreled a fastball right back up the middle for an RBI single and the 1-0 lead. Her timely hit ended up being the lone scoring play of the game as the Spartans went down in order after the run. Mariah Galhouse continued her dominant day in the circle by recording a shutdown inning zero in the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, Galhouse was back in the circle looking to not just pick up the win in a complete game shutout but finish the sweep of the Eagles. Galhouse did so in style, sitting down ERAU in order with two strikeouts. This was Galhouse's sixth straight complete game shutout on the year, not allowing a run for 43.1 innings in a row. Tampa's win streak has now reached 25 games and counting as this team keeps finding ways to win. 

INSIDE THE STATS: 

• Mariah Galhouse final line - 7.0 IP, 6 H, 6 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER

• Kinnah Kreidler - 1-3, GW RBI

UP NEXT: The Spartans will have a few days to recover and repair for more Sunshine State Conference fastpitch this upcoming weekend. Tampa is set to host Florida Southern on Friday, March 28th at 6:00pm.