The Tampa Spartans completed a three-game sweep of the Florida Tech Panthers on Saturday, winning both ends of a doubleheader by scores of 7-3 and 12-8. This on the heels of a 6-0 win on Friday.
Sam Crocker (1-2) gave up 10 hits over five innings in game one but was victimized by three Panther errors. On offense, Florida Tech managed just six hits. Leadoff man James Gronberg had two of those.
Tampa struck first in the bottom of the second, thanks to an RBI double off the bat of Cole Perry. That lead did not last long, as Jakob Newton led off the top of the third with a solo home run against Tampa starter Keven Pimentel.
Vincenzo Catanza followed with a single and was chased home one out later on a double from Gronberg, giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Raul Quintero knocked in the third run on an RBI grounder.
Tampa got a run back in the bottom of the third on a double-play ball. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Perry continued to make the Panthers miserable with a two-run home run, putting the home team on top, 4-3. A solo shot later in the inning by Drew Ehrhard made it 5-3.
Pimentel meanwhile got through five for Tampa and improved his record to 4-0. Mark Moclair picked up a four-inning save for Tampa, who scored their final two runs in the sixth, thanks to an error and a wild pitch.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Tampa (Game 1)
Game two saw the Spartans pound out 16 hits, seven of those coming against Panthers starter Andy Marzheuser, who gave up five runs over four innings.
Tampa (10-2, 3-0 SSC) got on the board first with a two-run homer from Danny Sirven. The Panthers got those runs back in the top of the third. Catanza singled and stole second. After Joe Tesoriero walked, Kevin Capella moved the runners up. Catanza scored on a passed ball and Daniel Szpik tied things up with an RBI single.
The Spartans took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third and an RBI single by Perry in the fourth made it 4-2. Chris Gaffney brought him home with a triple, giving the home team a three-run lead.
Jacob Buser got the Panthers back in the swing of things with a two-run double in the top of the fifth and the Panthers tied it up one inning later when Szpik drew a bases-loaded walk.
Tampa used the long ball in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead. After Perry continued his scalding day with a single, Nick DeTringo sent a Drew Beyer pitch over the wall, giving the Spartans a 7-5 lead.
Beyer’s struggles continued in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up a two-run bomb to Darren Miller and an RBI single to Connor Crile, doubling up the Panthers, 10-5. Justin Barney came in for Beyer and gave up an RBI single to Perry before finally getting the third out.
Each team got a run in the eighth and the Panthers went to the ninth, down 12-6. Buser singled and went to second on an error. A single by Ryan Sinzenich got Buser to third. After Newton walked and Catanza struck out, Tesoriero singled, knocking in two runs. Capella and Gronberg both struck out ending the Panthers rally.
For more info: Florida Tech @ Tampa Box Score (Game 2)
Florida Tech (4-9, 0-3 SSC) will travel to West Palm Beach on Tuesday to take on the Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.