#15 Tampa Concludes Regular Season With Sweep At Eckerd
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The No. 15 University of Tampa (38-7, 19-5 SSC) softball team completed its final regular season series with a doubleheader sweep of Eckerd College (14-37, 2-19 SSC). In the first game the Spartans powered its way to a 6-0 win, and capped the night with an 8-1, eight inning victory in the second game.
Head coach Leslie Kanter and her Spartans will now head to postseason played with a school-record 38 victories, as it continues to add on to the UT record that was set on Friday at Eckerd's Turley Field.
In game one, Kari Walsh went 7.0 strong innings while striking out five and allowing only three hits. She improved her record to 14-3 and finished the regular season with a 1.53 ERA and 75 strikeouts.
Tampa received some timely hitting from some of their best hitters during the first game. The Spartans totaled 10 hits in the game with Brittany Hipple, Cassie Barnes, and Katlyn Raatz. Tampa first scored on an RBI double from Raatz. The Spartans stayed quiet until the sixth when they scored two runs from another Raatz double and an error to the Tritons second baseman. In the seventh, Tampa flexed its muscle as Becky Vyzas and Julie Wisniewski both went deep to finish off the Spartan attack.
Deanna Henriott earned her second victory of the series in the second game, pitching 8.0 innings on three hits and one earned run, while striking out 13 and walking three. She will finish off the regular season with a 24-4 record with a 0.64 ERA and 264 strikeouts. Her 24 wins also ties her own school record for single-season wins.
On offense, the Spartans came alive in the late innings. Eckerd held onto a 1-0 lead going into the top of the seventh until Vyzas took a solo blast to right field to tie the game. The Spartans were able to load the bases in the eighth, when Hipple torched a grand slam over the left field scoreboard to increase the score to 6-1. Elizabeth Milhan doubled to left to add on a run bringing the score to 7-1. Milhan was then scored off a ground ball to the shortstop.
Brittany Joseph and Hipple finished the game with a pair of hits. Hipple also drove in four on her grand slam. Vyzas contributed with a base hit and two RBIs. Wisniewski, Vyzas, Barnes, and Milhan each added base hits.
With the regular season complete, Tampa now awaits word on the location of the NCAA South Regional. The Spartans stand in excellent position for an at-large selection while currently being the No. 3 ranked team in its region. The top eight teams from the region will compete in the regional, which is scheduled for May 13-15 at campus sites.
Please visit www.tampaspartans.com for complete postseason information for the UT softball team.
Fans may also follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter (www.twitter.com/utspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers blAst, a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.