Spartans Stumble in Season Opener at PBA

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The University of Tampa softball team dropped both games of a Wednesday afternoon doubleheader at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Game One Final: Palm Beach Atlantic, 2, Tampa 1
Game Two Final: Palm Beach Atlantic, 4, Tampa 2
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (0-2, 0-1 SSC), Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish (4-2, 3-1 SSC)
Location: Simpson Field | West Palm Beach, Fla.
All-time Series: Tampa now holds an 18-16 advantage in the all-time series.

HOW IT HAPPENED — GAME ONE:

• The Spartans wasted little time in getting the scoring started as Corynn Miner had an RBI double to score teammate Stephanie Balmer. | 1-0 Tampa
• PBA struck for a pair of fifth-inning runs to close out the scoring. | 2-1 Palm Beach Atlantic

INSIDE THE STATS — GAME ONE:

• The Spartans had five hits on the game.
• Miner reached base twice with a double and a walk.
• Miner pitched the entire game for the Spartans, striking out seven while walking none. She scattered six hits in 6.0 innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED — GAME TWO:

• The Sailfish broke the game open with a four-run third inning, though just two of the runs were earned. | 4-0 Palm Beach Atlantic
• Mariah Galhouse doubled home the first run of the game for Tampa, with pinch-runner Abigail Siegel scoring the first UT run. | 4-1 Palm Beach Atlantic
• UT cut the Sailfish lead in half on a fifth-inning Lauren Fantone triple that scored Avery Perkins. | 4-2 Palm Beach Atlantic

INSIDE THE STATS — GAME TWO:

• Alexa Russo went 2-3 and was the lone Spartan with multiple hits.
• UT had four extra-base hits in the game. In addition to Fantone's triple, Cristina Clauberg, Galhouse and Russo each connected on doubles.
• Galhouse started for UT and pitched the entire game. She struck out four Sailfish in 6.0 innings of work.

BEYOND THE BOX:

• The first game of the doubleheader was a Sunshine State Conference game, while the second game was a non-conference contest.
• The loss snapped a streak of 10-straight victories in season openers for the Spartans.
• UT was selected second in the preseason SSC poll while the Sailfish came in fifth.

UP NEXT: Tampa and Palm Beach Atlantic will meet for a Saturday afternoon twin-bill at the Naimoli Family Softball Complex. The doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m.

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