Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
TAMPA - Florida Southern did something to top-ranked Tampa on Sunday afternoon that a team hadn't done since last season's NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament defeat the Spartans on its home field as the 16th-ranked Moccasins picked up a 13-6 win in the first game of a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader at the UT Baseball Field.
The victory helped the Mocs snap not only UT's 20-game home win streak. but also its 23-game overall win streak. The Spartans hadn't lost on its home field since falling 7-2 to West Florida in the championship round of last year's South Regional Tournament and hadn't lost a game this season since falling 13-5 at then third-ranked Georgia College on Feb. 16. UT fell to 30-2 overall and 10-1 in the SSC with the setback.
FSC, who pounded out 21 hits in the win, improved to 22-10 overall and 5-3 in the SSC. It was the third time in its last six games that FSC has recorded 20 or more hits in a game.
Junior third baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.) led the FSC offensive attack with four hits, while junior centerfielder Keith Curcio (Sarasota, Fla.), redshirt sophomore rightfielder Dominic Brugnoni (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and junior catcher Joey Miller (Sarasota, Fla.) each had three hits in the win. In fact, every Moccasin, with the exception of junior leftfielder Trevor Freeman (Shalimar, Fla.), had at least one hit in the game.
The Mocs jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to three hits and a sacrifice fly off of UT starter Chase Sparkman. Senior second baseman Conor Szczerba (Titusville, Fla.) opened the game with a single to center and moved to second on a bunt single up the first base line by Curcio. After a bunt by senior first baseman Trey Vavra (Menomonie, Wis.) moved the runners up a base, Dennis delivered an RBI single to left to plate Szczerba with the game's first run. Brugnoni drove home the next run on his fly ball to right. The Mocs would eventually load the bases thanks to a hit batsmen and an error, before Sparkman got out of the jam by forcing Freeman to fly out right to end the inning.
UT tied the game in the bottom of the second inning as they recorded three hits and scored two runs, including taking advantage of a throwing error by Brugnoni on a single by Orlando Rivera to score an unearned run. The other Spartan run came home on an RBI single up the middle by Zach Gawrych.
The Mocs would retake the lead in the top of the third inning thanks to three singles, including an infield RBI single by freshman designated hitter Scottie Withrow (Seminole, Fla.). The Mocs would eventually load the bases on a one out single deep in the hole at shortstop by Miller, before Sparkman got out of the jam by enducing Freeman to hit into a 1-2-3 double play.
FSC pushed its lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single to left by Dennis. Dennis' single plated Szczerba, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning by Sparkman.
UT got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth on a 2-out solo home run over the fence in left by Nick Tindall to pull the Spartans within 4-3. The homer by Tindall was his team-leading seventh of the season.
The Mocs extended its lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning thanks to a 2-out, 2-run single to left center by Curcio. Curcio's single plated both Miller and junior shortstop Casey Eddinger (Crawfordville, Fla.), who had reached on singles earlier in the inning.
FSC's lead grew to 9-3 in the sixth inning as they used four hits to plate three runs, including scoring two runs on a single to center by Eddinger off of UT reliever Logan LaPace. The other run came home on an RBI single by Miller.
The Mocs pushed in front 10-3 in the seventh inning as Dennis scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on a one-out double.
FSC pushed its lead to 13-3 in the top of the eighth inning thanks to an RBI single by Szczerba and a 2-run homer off the bat of Vavra. Vavra's homer was his team-leading sixth of the season.
The Spartans would find the scoreboard again in the eighth inning as they used four hits off of senior Moccasin hurler Brian Johnson (Oldsmar, Fla.) to plate two runs and drop FSC's lead to 13-5. Stephen Dezzi got the inning started with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of pinch hitter Jacob Tillotson and added its second run later in the inning on a pinch hit single by Brett Jones that chased Johnson from the game.
Johnson, who improved to 3-3 on the season with the win, pitched 7.2 innings and allowed 12 hits and five runs, while striking out four and walking none.
Senior Nick Krolczyk (Coral Springs, Fla.) pitched the final 1.1 innings as he allowed one hit and one run, while walking one and striking out one.
UT would complete the game's scoring in the first game by plating a run in the bottom of the ninth inning on an RBI double to center by Tillotson.
Sparkman (1-1) took the loss for the Spartans as he pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs, all of which were earned.
UT, who collected 13 hits in the game, was paced by two hits from Sean O'Brien. 11 other Spartan batters picked up a hit in the loss.
The two teams will conclude the doubleheader with a seven inning game that was scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.
