Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Kayla Lamphier has certainly hit balls a lot harder than the one she hit for a bloop double Thursday night, but it was enough to turn a scoreless extra-inning game in the University of Tampa’s favor. Lamphier’s leadoff double in the top of the ninth set the stage for a pair of RBI triples by Megan Burke and Katlyn Raatz, and allowed Deanna Henriott to out-duel Florida Southern’s Christine Clark for a 2-0 win by the Spartans.
Henriott came into the game with a 16-4 record and a 1.08 earned run average, while Clark was 20-4 with a 0.83 ERA. Both pitchers dominated their side of the game, with Henriott striking out 18 batters, walking only one and giving up just three hits. Clark had a career-high 17 strikeouts, walked no one and gave up seven hits. Three of those hits, however, came in the top of the ninth when the Spartans (29-5, 14-2 Sunshine State Conference, ranked #8) put them together for their fourth extra-inning win of the season.
Lamphier’s hit got the ninth inning started for Tampa, as the freshman outfielder flared a pitch into short left center that three Moccasins converged on, but none could get to in time to make the catch. Sprinting all the way from the left-handed batter’s box, Lamphier slid into second for only her second extra-base hit of the season.
Clark struck out the next two Tampa batters, but Burke lined a pitch into the gap in right center for a triple that scored Lamphier. Raatz followed with another triple to almost the same spot, and the Spartans were up 2-0.
The Moccasins (28-10, 7-6) put together their own threat in the bottom of the ninth, when Steph Graziani drew a 4-pitch leadoff walk, and Brittany Martin singled with one out. Grazaini moved to third on the hit, and when the Spartans tried to throw her out, Martin moved into scoring position as well. That gave the Mocs two shots to tie the game, but Henriott kept them off the board. Dayna Hunn battled her for 12 pitches before popping up to second, and Clark flied out to left to end the game.
Before the ninth inning, Tampa’s biggest threats against Clark came in the first and eighth innings. Becky Vyzas, who had two of Tampa’s seven hits, doubled with two out in the first, but was stranded there when Stacy Piagno grounded out to short. In the eighth, Raatz led off with a single, and the Spartans got another base runner on a fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt, but Clark worked around that with a strike out and fly ball to center.
Florida Southern put its leadoff batter on base in the fifth inning with a base hit by Clark, and the seventh inning with a double by Martin, but neither runner got further than second base. Martin and Clark combined for all three of Florida Southern’s hits, and Graziani reached twice with a hit-by-pitch and a walk.
Clark’s 17 strikeouts tied the third most in school history, and she was the first Moccasin pitcher to reach that total since Julianne Coleman fanned 17 in a 3-0 win over Northwood (MI) in 1998. The only Florida Southern pitcher with more is Dori Stankewitz, who had games of 20 and 18 in her career, with her 20 against Tampa in 1987 still the NCAA Division II record for a 7-inning game.
It was Henriott’s 44th career game with double digit strikeouts, and her 14th this season.
Florida Southern and Tampa will complete their series on Friday with a doubleheader at 5:00 p.m.
