Late Offense Powers Spartan Sweep of Florida Tech

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The University of Tampa's Softball team capitalizes on late offense in both legs of today's double header to complete the road sweep of the Panthers in Melbourne.

Records: Tampa 30-10, (17-7), Florida Tech 29-16-1, (15-11)

Location: Nancy Bottge Field l Melbourne, FL.

History: Today's double header marked 134th and 135th meetings between Florida Tech and Tampa with the Spartans holding all-time series lead of 81-54.

Final Game One: Tampa 9, Florida Tech 8

Final Game Two: Tampa 3, Florida Tech 0

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME ONE:

Game one of the double header started off with a bang for the Spartans... literally, as Kelsey Winters stepped up to the plate and hit her first career home run, a three-run bomb, to give the Tampa the early lead. However, the Panthers would immediately answer through back-to-back home runs of their own in the bottom of the first to tie the game. The Panthers would continue this offensive burst to the tune of another three runs in the second to completely flip the game in their favor. Koda Travers, who was making a relief appearance that started in the first, settled down after this as she was able to set aside seven of the final eight batters she faced through the end of the fourth. The Spartans would start to mount their comeback during this time, scoring a run in the fourth and the fifth respectively. This prompted the Spartans to turn to Gwen McGinnis in the bottom of the fifth to ensure the game stayed within reach. After McGinnis held off the Panthers in the fifth, Tampa would complete their comeback as Kinnah Kreidler smacked a go-ahead two-run home run to put the Spartans up one. However, this was only the start of what would become a crazy finish, as Florida Tech would answer with another pair of runs to go back ahead going into the seventh. With their back against the wall, Tampa would take advantage of a Panther error to plate two more runs and hit the front again giving McGinnis a second opportunity to close out the game. McGinnis would take full advantage of this second chance and shut the door on the Panthers with a pair of strikeouts to end the game. 

INSIDE THE STATS: 

• Travers - 4.0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 SO, 3 BB

• McGinnis - W (20-4): 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 SO, 1 BB

• Kreidler - 1-2, HR (4), 2 RBI (25), 2 R, BB

• Winters - 2-4, HR (1), 3 RBI (4), R

• Abbey Johns - 1-3, 2 RBI (11)

HOW IT HAPPENED - GAME TWO:

Tampa would turn right back to Gwen McGinnis to start the final game of the series, and McGinnis would provide her usual excellent performance despite having allowed a couple runs in the first game of the day. However, despite the offensive outburst in the first game, Tampa's offense was quiet for much of the second game of the day. The ongoing pitchers' duel created a situation where the game was scoreless heading into the seventh inning with the two teams combing for only five hits across the six innings. In the seventh though, Tampa's bats would heat up again. The Spartans were able to find another two out rally, as they would muster four consecutive hits with Cam Feast scorching a two-run double followed by Kinnah Kreidler recording an RBI double of her own to build the Spartan lead to 3-0 in a flash. McGinnis would return in the bottom of the seventh to put the finishing touches on her second shutout performance in as many days to secure a sweep for the Spartans.