Baseball Unable to Stop #1 Spartans in Series Opener

TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team lost its series opener against No. 1 University of Tampa by a score of 11-2 on Friday night at the UT Baseball Field.
 
The Moccasins (9-14, 3-4 SSC) tied the game early in the second inning but lost the long game in the conference loss. The Spartans (24-2, 6-1 SSC) took command in the opening innings and continued to score with 2+ runs scored in three different innings for the SSC victory.
 
Florida Southern opened the game with three quick outs, as UT went right to work with a solo run in the first inning and two hits. FSC responded in the second with a leadoff double by Bryce Safferwich, but two flyouts threatened any score. Though Grady Maguire had an RBI single up the middle to bring home Safferwich and a 1-1 tie game.
 
Three hits by the Spartans in the bottom half of the second allowed two runs scored as UT took the lead 3-1, a lead they kept for the remainder of the game. Gates had a solo homer in the third to make it a 4-1 game, but FSC cut into the deficit with an RBI groundout by Jevin Relaford for El'Rico Riley to score the final FSC run of the day.
 
UT had a three-run fifth inning of work with costly walks and an error led to a sac bunt and two-run homer by Cumbo as UT took a 7-2 lead. Tampa went on to score a single run in the seventh and another three-run outing in the eighth while shutting out the Moccasins for the 11-2 game one UT win. Mitchell LeRoy had the start for the Mocs and given the loss. Alex Canney went seven innings and was credited with the win.
 
Five Moccasins tallied a solo hit on the day as Maguire and Relaford each had an RBI in the loss. Florida Southern pitching had a tough outing with four pitchers used and a combined 10 walks, with four errors on the defensive side. UT left 13 on base and notched 10 hits in the SSC matchup. Nunez led Tampa with three hits as Gates and Cumbo each had a homer (Cumbo led with 3 RBI).
 
The Mocs will close their series against the Spartans with a doubleheader tomorrow, March 23, set for a 1 p.m. start at the UT Baseball Field.
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