Urso Ties Prado for All-Time Victories at Tampa

Box score

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - The #1 ranked University of Tampa (15-2) did the little things in a well played 6-2 victory over the Barry Buccaneers (9-8). With the victory Head Coach Joe Urso earned his 280th victory while leading the Spartans tying him with former UT coach, Lelo Prado.

The Buccaneers got a two-out solo homerun from Andrew Frezza in the bottom of the first inning and had the early 1-0 advantage.

Tampa made a mini two-out rally of their own in the top of the second. With Craig Corrado on second, Chris Rosenbaum delivered a full count double to the right center gap for the RBI. Paul Cruz followed up with a double of his own that took a funny hop down the first base line and the Spartans took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the inning.

The Spartans opened the third with back-to-back doubles from Troy Ferguson and Ryan Kennedy but that was all the havoc that Tampa could wreak on the Bucs and led 3-1.

Nolan Brannon led of the fourth with a single to center on a 0-2 count. The next two Spartan hitters didn't reach base but they managed to move Brannon to third. With a swinging bunt that couldn't be fielded in time by Barry starter Jayson Brown, Junior Mejia picked up his first hit of the ball game as well as an RBI.

Barry, refusing to give in to the high-powered Spartans, got a run back on Gabriel Casanova's double off the wall in center, closing the Spartan lead to 4-2.

Rosenbaum collected his second RBI base hit of the evening in the sixth. Roberto Mena led off the inning by reaching after getting hit by a pitch. After Mena stole second he was moved to third on Brannon's brilliant situational hitting, a groundout to second. Rosenbaum delivered the RBI hit hard up the middle putting Tampa back on top by three.

Ferguson hit his fourth homerun of the season in the ninth, adding an insurance run for the final score of 6-2.

Ross Jackson (3-1) was very impressed in his seven innings of work where he gave up only six hits and two runs on his way to victory. Brown fell to 2-2 on the season for Barry. Jonathan Holt remained perfect in converting on all of his save attempts this season, now at eight for the season.

The Spartans return to Finebloom Field at Barry University to complete their three game SSC series at 12:00 noon tomorrow.