Sulte
Sulte
April 11, 2025

Long Balls from Sulte and Fantone Lift #2 Tampa Over Rollins

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Winter Park, Fla. - The University of Tampa's Softball team was back on the road today as they traveled across I4 to face Rollins College. Tonight's contest was game one of a three game series with the nationally ranked Tars (RV), and it did not disappoint. After failing to win last week's series opener, Tampa was hungry to flip that script tonight and start this weekend off with a win. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Records: #2 Tampa Spartans 34-3 (17-2 SSC), Rollins 25-11 (14-8 SSC)

Location: Rollins Softball Stadium at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park l Winter Park, Fla

History: Today's game was the 125th matchup between these two programs. With the win, the Spartans lead the all-time series 72-53

Final: #2 Tampa 2, Rollins 1

 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

In a matchup between two of the top teams in the conference, the Spartans knew how important it was to throw the first punch. Lauren Fantone did just that as she opened the game with a home run over the right field wall. This leadoff home run led to Tampa loading the bases on three walks before the Tars got out of the inning. In the bottom of the first, Gwen McGinnis took the circle with a chance to solidify the early Spartan lead. She downed the Tars in order (picking up her first strikeout in the process) and Tampa ended the first with a 1-0 lead. The second inning saw a baserunner for each side but both Gwen McGinnis and her Rollins counterpart threw up zero's. Heading into the middle innings, both offenses began to come alive. In the bottom of the third, Rollins earned back to back baserunners and threatened for the first time. With runners on second and first and one out, Gwen McGinnis induced a perfect double play ball to Alexa Russo who calmly stepped on third and fired it to first base to end the inning. Using the momentum of a big time defensive play, Abby Sulte led off the fourth inning with a bomb to right field. Sulte's homer was the only run of the inning but the Spartans led the Tars 2-0 at the halfway mark of this contest. Gwen McGinnis continued to dominate in the circle, posting her fourth and straight scoreless inning of the game and adding strikeout number five to her day. After Tampa was unable to extend their lead in the top of the fifth, the Tars were finally able to get on the board. Rollins used two fifth inning singles to score their first run of the game. McGinnis was able to limit the damage and keep the Spartan lead at 2-1 heading into the final two innings. After a scoreless top half from the Tampa offense, Gwen McGinnis beared down once again to post her fifth shutout inning of the game and preserve the one run lead. In the top of the seventh, the Spartans went down in order leaving McGinnis a 2-1 lead with three outs to get. McGinnis picked up number one by striking out the leadoff hitter before Mckenna Demartino and Lilly Kiester made back to back elite defensive plays to seal the victory for the Spartans. 

INSIDE THE STATS: 

UP NEXT: The Spartans and Tars will complete their three game series with a double header tomorrow. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:00pm.