Spartans Take Both Against Wilmington Behind Strong Defense

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa's Softball team sweep Friday double dip with the Wildcats of Wilmington in a battle of 2025 super regional teams.

Records: Tampa 11-5, (3-3), Wilmington (Del.) 3-11

Location: Naimoli Family Stadium l Tampa, FL.

History: Today's double header marked 8th and 9th meetings between these two programs with Tampa winning all nine of the meetings.

Final Game One: Tampa 6, Wilmington (Del.) 2

Final Game Two: Tampa 1, Wilmington (Del.) 0

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME ONE:

Gwen McGinnis would get her seventh start of the season to start game one of the double header, and would assert her usual dominance early as she would only allow three baserunners through the first five innings while striking out seven hitters. Tampa's offense would provide the requisite run support which started in the third with a Kinnah Kreidler RBI single. The Spartans would add a second run in the fourth off of a wild pitch that came with the bases loaded. However, in the bottom of the fifth the Spartans would take their turn to break the game open. Tampa would achieve this through three consecutive two out RBI hits from the middle of the batting order to bring the lead to 5-0. The Wildcats would come out in the sixth with an eagerness to retaliate as they got to face a new pitcher, and quickly racked up three hits and a walk to load the bases with one run already scored. At this junction, McGinnis would return to the game with the task of getting out of a jam, and she would do just that by only allowing one of the three inherited runners to score to keep the Wildcats at an arms length. The Spartans would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, and McGinnis would come back out to finish things off in the seventh.

INSIDE THE STATS: 

• McGinnis - W (7-2): 6.2 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 SO

• Makiah Brumbelow-Neal - 2-3, 2 RBI (9), 2 R

• Abbey Johns - 2-3, RBI (4)

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO:

Holly Steffus once again got the game two start for the Spartans, and once again pitched very well through the first four innings of the game scattering three hits. The Spartan offense would come out of the gates well in game two as Brumbelow-Neal would come through with a two out base knock to put the Spartans on the board in the first. The Spartan offense would go quiet after the first, only managing three hits against the Wildcats' pitching. The Wildcats would see their opportunity to strike in the fifth inning when Steffus would allow consecutive hitters to reach safely after getting the first out of the inning. Faced with a jam, the Spartans would turn back to McGinnis to get them out of trouble, and yet again McGinnis would deliver the goods through two weak pop-ups to retire the side. McGinnis would stay in to take on the sixth and seventh innings in an attempt to record her first save of the season. Much like the first game of the day, McGinnis would come through for the Spartans and record the save without getting into a jam in either of the final two innings.

INSIDE THE STATS:  

• Steffus - W (3-1): 4.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 3 SO

• McGinnis - SV (1): 2.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB

• Brumbelow-Neal - 1-1, RBI (10)

• Johns - 1-3, R

() - Season Totals

UP NEXT: The Spartans retake the field for the second of consecutive double headers against Southwest Minnesota State tomorrow at 2:00pm.