Box Score
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – In a game where both sides exchanged glancing blows, second-ranked University of Tampa landed the knockout punch against the Eckerd College baseball program in a well-contested Friday-night affair, 5-4.
Raiko Alfonso broke open a 4-4 tie with a solo home run to right field in the top of the eighth inning as part of his 3-for-3 night at the plate for the Spartans (33-8, 13-6 SSC).
Tampa's offense also received an additional jolt of power in the form of a two-run blast from Damon Elder in the sixth inning.
Elder also laced a two-out, two-run single in UT's half of third inning and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
The Tritons (15-26, 3-16 SSC) scored one run apiece in the third and fourth innings before senior
Joey LaRose made things all square with a two-run triple that tied the ballgame up at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh frame.
In front of a handful of scouts, senior
Joey Cuda matched his career-high strikeout total with 14 against the Tampa offense in the effort. Cuda was dueling lefty Ben O'Shea and lasted eight innings, but was tagged with the loss despite the dominant punchout total.
Cuda struck out the side in the seventh inning and recorded all three outs on strikeouts in the eighth with the exception of the go-ahead homer by Alfonso. He also fanned 14 hitters on April 5 against Rollins College.
Cuda scattered six hits and allowed five runs, all earned.
The Tritons were seeing the ball out of O'Shea's arm slot and jumped on the southpaw early for a huge advantage in the hit column.
Four hits in the third eventually translated into EC's first run of the game as senior
Alex Del Monte drove the first pitch he saw from O'Shea up the middle for an RBI single to score senior
Dan Capra.
Capra originally reached after pushing a beautiful bunt up the first base line and moved into scoring position on an underhanded throwing error with O'Shea late to cover the bag.
Del Monte went 2-for-4 on the night to push his team-leading average to .361. He also plated another run on a lined shot in the fourth inning with two outs to score senior
Joe McLemore from second base.
LaRose greeted Evan Stobbs rudely out of the bullpen, legging out a triple that scored Del Monte and senior
David Regidor to give the Tritons new life. The runs were charged against the line of O'Shea and with the winning decision, Stobbs moved to 4-0 on the season.
The Tritons will look to even things up against the Spartans tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at the Turley Athletic Complex.
