No. 3 Spartans Open SSC Series With Win Against PBA
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
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4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 12 | 14 | 0 |
TAMPA, Fla. — The No. 3 University of Tampa baseball team opened Sunshine State Conference play in dominant fashion, defeating Palm Beach Atlantic 12–3 on Friday night at Tampa Baseball Field.
The Spartans improved to 20–4 overall and 7–0 in SSC action, continuing their long‑standing dominance over the Sailfish.
Tampa, which owns a 42–7 all‑time series edge and has now won 18 consecutive games against PBA, scored in five different innings and received another strong start from Robert Satin to take control of the series.
How It Happened
Tampa wasted no time jumping on the Sailfish in the bottom of the first inning. After Jordan Evans reached on an error and stole second, the Spartans plated four unearned runs, highlighted by RBI singles from Jhoander Irigoyen, Walker Vanecek, and Jake Books, along with a sacrifice fly by Javi Soto, to build an early 4–0 lead.
The Spartans broke the game open in the third. Tampa sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs, sparked by Jack Martinez's RBI double, a two‑run triple by Jesse Ponce, and an RBI triple from Evans. A wild pitch and a double‑play RBI capped the inning as Tampa extended its advantage to 10–0.
Palm Beach Atlantic got on the board in the sixth after a brief rally against the bullpen, but Tampa answered immediately in the bottom half when Luke Fikar delivered an RBI single up the middle to push the lead to 12–3.
From there, the Spartans' bullpen shut the door. Corey Lyle, Alex Laiche, and Kenney Robinson combined to toss 3.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit to close out the victory.
On the mound, Robert Satin continued his dominant stretch, allowing just two hits and no runs while striking out eight over five innings to earn his seventh win of the season.
Top Performers
- Robert Satin (W, 7–0): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K — lowered his ERA and set the tone in the series opener.
- Brayden Woodburn: 1-for-2, HR, 3 runs, walk — homered in the fifth and scored three times.
- Jhoander Irigoyen: 3-for-3, RBI, walk — perfect night at the plate and part of multiple scoring innings.
- Jordan Evans: 1-for-6, RBI, triple, 2 runs, stolen base — ignited early offense and added extra‑base power.
- Jake Books: 2-for-4, RBI — drove in a run in the opening frame.
- Jesse Ponce: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, triple — delivered a key swing during Tampa's six‑run third inning.
Up Next
The Sunshine State Conference series concludes on Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Tampa Baseball Field, as the Spartans look to extend their winning streak against the Sailfish and remain unbeaten in league play.