Chase Continues: No. 1 Tampa Outduels No. 4 Colorado Mesa
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 3 | 7 | 1 |
CARY, N.C. - Thanks to dominating pitching performance from lefthander Chase Sparkman, the No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team will force a second game against No. 4 Colorado Mesa University with a 3-1 win in the NCAA Division II Finals.
The Spartans improve to 54-3 and force a winner-take-all second game against the Mavericks, who now sit at 46-12 after the loss. The winner will compete for the 2014 Division II baseball championship on Saturday evening.
Sparkman (4-1) dazzled in his near-flawless performance, outdueling CMU starter Ryan Reno in the pitching showdown. The junior spun 8.1 innings of six-hit baseball, limiting the Mavericks to a single run, which did not cross the plate until the ninth inning.
Closer Kevin McNorton came in to pitch the final two outs, earning his 13th save of the season.
Reno (3-2) was credited with the loss, despite a strong outing. The fellow lefty allowed three runs, one earned over a complete game.
Senior Zach Gawrych laced a pair of clutch RBI singles to keep Tampa alive this postseason. Junior Stephen Dezzi and senior Michael Danner each tallied two hits and a run scored while junior Giovanny Alfonzo scored the final run of the contest.
The rematch between the two squads will be played Friday, May 30th at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. More information regarding the matchup, including start time and broadcast information will be made available through www.ncaa.com and www.tampaspartans.com. Live stats will be provided at www.tampaspartans.com.
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