Tampa Improves to 14-2 With Come From Behind Victory

Box score

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The #1 University of Tampa (14-2) baseball team spotted the Tars from Rollins College (10-5) a four run lead, but came back for an impressive 13-6 win.

Rollins jumped on John Wiedenbauer in the first inning after the Spartans stranded two runners in the top of the frame. The freshman walked two and hit a batter in the first inning and the defense behind him didn't do much to help him either as they committed two errors, helping Rollins take an early 4-0 lead.

The Spartans got on the board in the third as Junior Mejia led off with a double to left and later scored on Ryan Kennedy's ground out to the shortstop.

Tampa tied the game in the fourth without registering a hit. Rollins starter, Danny Clark walked the first three batters he saw before he was pulled in favor of Alex Venegas, who walked Ryan Williams for an RBI. Paul Cruz and Mejia each had sacrifice flies to knot the score at four.

Wiedenbauer made his exit after the fifth inning and for the third time in four starts he left without the chance to earn a decision. Scott Chapman began the sixth on the mound for the Spartans and started a little sluggish by giving up back to back singles. After a flyout, Ryan Luker laced a pitch right back Chapman who somehow got his glove up to catch the ball then throw to second, easily doubling off the runner and ending the inning.

Tampa was able to take advantage of Rollins misfortune and took the lead for the first time in the seventh with four runs. Kennedy led off with a triple off the centerfield fence and was driven in immediately on Jimenez's groundout to first. After Craig Corrado singled, Roberto Mena made up for an earlier error by hitting the second triple of the inning and picking up an RBI. Chris Rosenbaum flied out to right just deep enough that Mena was able to score. The fourth and final run of the inning came off the bat of Williams who hit his second homerun of the season over the right field fence.

The Tars were able to score a run off Chapman in the bottom of the seventh and closed the Spartan lead to three runs at 8-5.

Rollins made it very interesting in the bottom of the eighth as their first three batters reached base on Tampa closer, Jonathan Holt. After a line out and a strikeout, Gary Martoccio singled up the middle driving in one run. Holt induced a fly ball for the third out as Tampa took an 8-6 lead into the ninth.

Corrado led of the ninth inning with the third Spartan triple of the evening. Mena made sure that Corrado would score as he picked up an RBI on his sacrifice fly to center. Later in the inning, Paul Cruz lifted a ball to right, good enough for the fifth sacrifice fly of the evening. Troy Ferguson became the fourth Spartan to triple in the game, this time there were two runners on, Ferguson was struck by the relay throw to third and was able to score on the play as well as the ball squirted away into the Rollins dugout.

Chapman only tossed 1.1 innings but was deemed the victor and he moves to 3-0 on the season. Holt picked up his seventh save on the young season as he pitched the eighth and ninth giving up only one run.

Tampa will travel to Miami Shores this weekend as they open Sunshine State Conference play against Barry University, Friday at 7:00 pm.