Spartans Wrap Up Home Stand Against Wilmington (Del.)

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of Tampa softball team concludes their ten-game home stand with a doubleheader against Wilmington University on Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans have won seven of last eight games at the friendly confines of Naimoli Family Field. 

The Matchup: University of Tampa Spartans (14-5, 7-2 SSC) vs. Wilmington University Wildcats (Del.) (0-2, 0-0 CACC)

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 2 - 5:00 p.m. (DH)

Location: Naimoli Family Softball Field || Tampa, Fla.

Series History: The two programs have only met once in softball history as UT run-ruled Wilmington, 8-0, on February 26, 2012. Tampa scored six runs combined in the fifth and sixth inning to cap off the victory. The Spartans' ace, Kayla Cox, tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out 13 batters in the inaugural contest. Despite the eight-run blowout, the Wildcats allowed only one earned run in the six inning ballgame. 

Last Time Out: The Spartans are coming off a series sweep over the Eckerd College Tritons. Tampa out-scored EC by a ten-run margin, 11-1, over the three game series. Corynn Miner continued her tear in the circle with two victories, allowing one run over 14.0 innings pitched. In game three, The red-shirt junior struck out 10 batters in a 4-1 victory. It was the fifth time this season in which Miner has struck out double digits. Mariah Galhouse picked up a win in game two but made a significant impact at the plate this weekend. Galhouse went 6-for-9 with two extra base hits, including her first career triple, and registered six RBI in three games. The freshman is coming off back-to-back games with multiple hits, the first time she's accomplished this feat. Additionally, Galhouse logged a first inning RBI in all three games against Eckerd. The Spartans held Eckerd's hit leader, Hannah Famiano, without a base knock for the entire series.

About the Spartans: Tampa has gained momentum with a six-game winning streak, earning victories in 11 of the last 13 games. In 19 games played, the Spartans' pitching staff has totaled a 1.16 ERA with 11 complete games. Miner, a St. Petersburg, Fla. native, leads the SSC in strikeouts (88), tied for the lead in wins (9), and ranks second in conference with a 0.60 ERA. The right-hander has allowed one run in the last 29.2 innings pitched. Over the weekend, UT scored in the first inning of every contest and allowed their pitching staff to continue their magicial season. Tampa owns an undefeated record (10-0) when scoring in the first inning. Offensively, Miner leads the team in hits (22), RBI (12), extra-base hits (5), and runs scored (13). Stephanie Balmer, a 2019 All-SSC second team selection, has registered at least one hit in nine of the last 11 games. Balmer impacts the game in many ways as the shortstop leads the team in defensive assists (55), and is tied for the team lead in walks (7) and stolen bases (2), while the sophomore ranks second in runs scored (12) and third in hits (17). Galhouse has emerged into a dual-threat in her freshman campaign as the Spring Hill, Fla. native ranks second in hits (21), RBI (10), and wins in the circle (5). The Springstead HS graduate has earned a 1.38 ERA in eight starts, compiling a 5-2 record with three complete games. 

About the Wildcats: Last season, Wilmington won the CACC Tournament and return nearly the entire offensive lineup after last year's NCAA Regional appearance. WU has been picked as the conference favorites in the CACC preseason coaches poll. The Wildcats are lead by dual-threat senior Rosa'Lynn Burton, who was named to both the NFCA DII National Player & Pitcher of the Year "Watch List". Burton was named a first team NFCA All-American last season and was crowned the 2019 New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe award after successfully stealing a perfect 60-for-60 on the base paths. As a junior, the Dover, Del. native set the school's all-time hits record with 91 and broke the record in batting average ending the year at .517. In her first three seasons, Burton has logged 147 stolen bases and 266 hits with 19 triples. The Wildcats have begun a ten-game trip to the Sunshine State and face off against some of the top competition in the country as eight of the ten teams reached the NCAA Regional last season. Wilmington opened their 2020 campaign on Sunday, March 1, with an extra-inning affair against West Region participant Western Oregon and a four-run loss to the 2019 NCAA DII National Semifinalists, Grand Valley State. On Monday, March 2, the Wildcats take on SSC-leader, No. 4 Rollins College, who has kicked off the year with a 17-0 overall record. 

Watch Live: Fans may watch the game through TampaSpartans.tv. Live stats are available through TampaStats.com.

Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Additionally, @Tampa_Softball on Twitter, and Instagram for social media content and scoring updates.

Text Alerts: UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.

Front Row: Download the official app of UT Athletics on the Apple or Android store. Look for Tampa Spartans Front Row app to receive notifications from your favorite Spartan teams. The app is completely free.