Tampa Secures SSC Sweep on the Road Over Lynn
BOCA RATON, Fla. — The No. 1 University of Tampa baseball team completed the Sunshine State Conference road sweep of Lynn with an 11–6 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The win pushed the Spartans to 14–1 overall and 6–0 in SSC play, highlighted by five home runs, a five‑run seventh inning, and a 16‑hit offensive display. Tampa overcame an early deficit, controlled the middle innings, and used a late surge to put the game out of reach while four pitchers combined to navigate 13 Lynn hits. With the loss, Lynn falls to 8-9 overall and 0-3 in league play.
How It Happened
Lynn took an early 1–0 lead in the first, but Tampa quickly answered in the third. Jordan Evans drew a bases‑loaded walk to plate Javi Soto, who had advanced on a passed ball to tie the game at 1–1. Lynn briefly reclaimed the lead on a solo homer in the bottom half, but the Spartans responded immediately and decisively in the fourth.
The fourth inning marked the turning point. Gunnett Carlson ripped an RBI single to score Walker Vanecek, tying the game at 2–2. Moments later, Soto launched a two‑run homer to left, and Evans followed with an RBI single to score Jack Martinez, giving Tampa a 5–2 advantage. The Spartans added another run in the fifth when Jake Books delivered a solo homer to right, extending the lead to 6–2.
Lynn narrowed the margin with a two‑run homer from Scout Simpson in the fifth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth, but Tampa broke the game open again in the seventh. Jhoander Irigoyen launched a two‑run homer to right to make it 8–5, before Vanecek added a solo homer and Carlson followed with another blast to right, pushing the Spartans' lead to 10–5. Evans capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to bring home Soto, completing a five‑run frame.
The Knights scored once more in the seventh, but Tampa's bullpen, led by Luke Fikar's 1.2 scoreless innings, closed the door to secure the sweep and remain unbeaten in conference play.
Top Performers
- John Luke Glanton: (W, 4–0), 5.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR. battled through traffic and kept Tampa in front early.
- Jhoander Irigoyen: 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs. Delivered the key seventh‑inning homer that broke the game open.
- Javi Soto: 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 runs, stolen base. Sparked multiple innings with loud contact and speed.
- Gunnett Carlson: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs, walk. Produced both early and late, including a seventh‑inning homer.
- Walker Vanecek: 2-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 runs. Added a solo homer and doubled earlier in the game.
- Jordan Evans: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, sac fly, walk. Drove in a team‑high three runs and contributed in three scoring innings.
- Jake Books: 1-for-5, HR, RBI. Crushed a solo homer in the fifth to extend Tampa's lead.
- Jack Martinez: 2-for-5, run, stolen base. Scored in key moments and helped set the table for Tampa's middle‑inning surge.
Up Next
Tampa travels to Valdosta State for a TuesdaySouth Region matchup with the Blazers at 5 p.m.
