Spartans and Knights Split Doubleader Featuring Ranked Teams
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team split a doubleheader with No. 30 Lynn University. The Spartans won the first game by an 11-0 margin, while dropping the second and rubber game of the series, 1-0.
After a silent two innings for both teams, the Spartans managed to rack up the first runs of the game in the third. Back-to-back doubles by sophomore Connor Obrochta and senior Damon Elder scored Obrochta to put UT on the board. Following a sacrifice fly by Andrew Jones that scored Elder, senior Eric Grabe ripped a homerun over the left field wall. Tampa was up 3-0 on the Knights.
The offense did not end there. In the next three innings, the Spartans went on to score one run, one run, and two runs, respectively.
In the eighth inning, Spartans' Jake Schrader doubled to right-center, bringing home Anthony Caronia and Jones to extend the lead to 9-0.
Two runs were also added by Spartan offense in the ninth inning, putting their run total for the game at 11.
Junior Ben O'Shea started on the mound for Tampa. The lefty threw eight complete innings without allowing a Knight to cross the plate. O'Shea recorded two strike outs, no walks, and held Lynn to only six hits. O'Shea's appearance was his second straight outing in which he threw for at least eight innings.
Righty Michael Zaccardo came in to relieve O'Shea in the ninth. Zaccardo retired all three batters faced in the last inning, sealing the victory for O'Shea and the Spartans. The shutout marks O'Shea's second win of the season, improving his season record to 2-0.
Four Spartan hitters went at least .500 in the game including Jones, Grabe, Obrochta and sophomore Shane Rowland. Tyler Ding went 2-for-2 while Schrader collected three RBI.
A strong offensive game was offset by a lesser showing in game two. The Spartans combined to get five hits off the Knight pitching staff compared to the 17 they had in the first game. The seven-inning contest ended with a score of 1-0, in Lynn's favor.
Junior Ben Brown started game two and pitched five complete innings, allowing only one run and striking out the same number. Sophomore Preston Packrall pitched one inning of relief, allowed no hits and no runs.
In all 16 innings of the doubleheader, Lynn pitching combined to strike out 17 Spartan batters while Tampa's staff did not walk one Knight.
The Spartans' season record moves to 12-2 (1-2 SSC) as Lynn goes to 11-5 (2-1 SSC).
Tampa will return to its home field for a 1 p.m. game against No. 5 Seton Hill on Sunday. Live stats and a webcastwill be available through TampaSpartans.com.
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