No. 4 Tampa Walks Off Florida Tech to Extend SSC Lead
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
TAMPA, Fla. — The No. 4 University of Tampa baseball team earned a walk‑off 3–2 victory over Florida Tech on Thursday night at Tampa Baseball Field, continuing its hold atop the Sunshine State Conference standings.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 34–7 overall and 20–2 in SSC play, marking the fifth consecutive season Tampa has reached the 20‑win mark in conference action. The Spartans continue to stand atop the SSC leaderboard, with their 20-2 league mark placing them ahead of Rollins (18-7) and Eckerd (15-6).
Prior to Friday's game, the University of Tampa honored its national championship men's swimming team and national runner-up women's swimming teams. Also honored were individual national champions Jacob Hamlin and Burlingtyn Bokos, along with the three men's relay national championship teams.
How It Happened
The game opened as a pitching duel, with neither team able to break through cleanly early. Tampa struck first in the third inning, as Jesse Ponce delivered an RBI single to left field to score Jhoander Irigoyen, giving the Spartans a 1–0 lead.
Florida Tech answered in the sixth, plating two runs on an RBI triple by Marcello Cortale, followed by an RBI single from Marshall Burke to take a brief lead. Tampa responded immediately in the bottom of the inning, as Jordan Evans launched a solo home run to left to tie the game at two.
The game stayed knotted until the ninth, when Tampa again delivered late. With runners on base, Jhoander Irigoyen reached on a dropped fly ball in left field, allowing Jordan Evans to score the winning run and seal the walk‑off victory.
On the Mound
Robert Satin provided a strong start, working six innings and allowing two runs on eight hits, while striking out five. Luke Fikar was dominant out of the bullpen, tossing three scoreless innings with five strikeouts to earn the win and keep Florida Tech off the board late.
Top Performers
- Jordan Evans: 2‑for‑3, HR, run scored — delivered the tying home run and scored the winning run.
- Luke Fikar (W, 1–0): 3.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 K — shut the door in relief.
- Jesse Ponce: RBI single in the third — opened the scoring.
- Jhoander Irigoyen: Scored once and reached base in the decisive ninth inning.
- Robert Satin: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 K — steady start.
Up Next
Tampa returns to Tampa Baseball Field on Saturday to host a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at The Birdcage as Sunshine State Conference play continues.