Spartan Rally Falls Short Against Valdosta State

Box score

VALDOSTA, Ga. - The top-ranked University of Tampa baseball team lost its second consecutive game, falling to Valdosta State 6-5. The loss drops the Spartans to 8-2 after a perfect 8-0 start to the season, while Valdosta improves to 7-3-1.

Tampa was the first to get on the board, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. After Junior Mejia scored on a double play, Jared Simon knocked in Jose Jimenez with an RBI single to put the Spartans up 2-0 early.

Valdosta answered right back in the bottom of the inning with two runs of its own. After a double steal put runners on second and third with one out, Blaine Wilson lined a two-run single into left field to tie the game at 2.

The Blazers came to bat in the third inning tied 2-2, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Daniel Muniz hit a ball into the right center field gap for a two-run double to put Valdosta up 4-2.

Heading into the top of the fourth inning trailing 4-2, Tampa's Stephen Merino laced a leadoff double into the gap in left center to move into scoring position with no outs. Paul Cruz then came to bat for Casey Albanese, knocked a pinch hit, RBI single up the middle that scored Merino to cut the lead to 4-3.

With one man down in the top of the fifth, Leo Alvarez came to bat and hit a long fly ball down the left field line. It came up just short of clearing the fence for Alvarez's first Spartan home run, as the Valdosta left fielder leapt to the top of the wall and pulled it back into the park, robbing the Spartans of the game-tying home run.

Valdosta added two more runs in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 6-3 on a two-run single by Muniz.

In the top of the sixth, with runners on second and third with one out, Cruz connected for his second RBI single in as many at-bats, this one a two-run base knock up the middle to cut the lead to 6-5 in favor of the Blazers.

Tampa was unable to complete the rally, managing just one more hit the rest of the way. Kevin Ferguson pitched seven innings while picking up the loss, allowing all six runs on eight hits. He also struck out ten Blazers while surrendering his first two walks of the season. Cruz led the Spartans with a 2-3 game and three RBIs.

Tampa and Valdosta finish the weekend series with a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1:00 pm.