Spartans Sweep Stillman to Stay Undefeated
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The top-ranked University of Tampa baseball team continued its winning streak by taking both games of a doubleheader against Stillman College. Tampa took the first game 5-1, and won the second game 10-3. The Spartans are now 8-0 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 3-8.
Game one remained scoreless until the top of the third inning when Tampa took a 2-0 lead. After a leadoff walk by Garrett Maines, Junior Mejia dropped a one out single into right center to move Maines to second. Nolan Brannon then hit a ball to the left side that was misplayed by the Tiger shortstop, allowing Maines and Mejia to come around and score the game's first two runs.
Stillman closed to within one run with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning, cutting the Spartan lead to 2-1. The Spartans responded with two runs of their own in the next half inning. Junior first baseman Jose Jimenez hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field fence. The home run is the 33rd of his career, placing him fifth all-time in the history of Tampa baseball.
Paul Cruz followed with a double in the next at-bat of the inning, taking a 0-2 pitch and slicing it past the third baseman down the left field line. With Cruz standing on second and two Spartans gone in the inning, Ryan Williams hit a 2-2 fastball back up the middle for an RBI single that scored Cruz and gave the Spartans a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Tampa added another run in the seventh when Jesus Barroso came across on the Tigers' third error of the game.
Senior ace Kevin Ferguson got the start for the Spartans and pitched a gem, throwing six innings of one run ball, surrendering three hits, walking none, and striking out five. Ferguson is now 2-0, and has not walked a batter in 18 innings to open the season.
Tampa got on the board first in game two with four runs in the first inning, getting RBI singles from Jimenez and Williams, and scoring two more on a Tiger error to take an early 4-0 lead. Stillman cut the Spartan lead to 4-2 with two runs of its own in the second.
The Spartans broke the game open in the top of the fourth with five runs, four of which came on a line drive grand slam over the left field wall by freshman Jared Simon to put his team up 10-2. The Tigers added a run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 10-3.
John Wiedenbauer gave up two runs on five hits in four innings of work to pick up his second win of the season. He also walked one and struck out two.
Simon led the Spartans with a 3-4 day, all in game two, with a home run and four RBIs. Jimenez had three hits in six at-bats with a home run, and two RBIs.
Tampa returns to the field tomorrow in the series finale against Stillman. First pitch is scheduled for 11 am central time.