Box Score
TAMPA, Fla. – Seventh-ranked University of Tampa opened a Sunshine State Conference weekend homestand against the Eckerd College baseball program by pitching a shutout in the series opener on Friday night, 6-0.
The Spartans (31-9, 12-4 SSC) scored in the second, fifth and eighth innings, but the Tritons (12-27, 2-17 SSC) were in position to pull the upset for the duration of the evening.
Junior
Mike Vavasis put the Tritons in the hit column by swatting his team-leading 13th double of the season with one out in the top of the fourth inning.
Vavasis reached Tampa starter Jon Keller, a transfer from the University of Nebraska who touched 93 mph on the radar gun according to scouts in the stands. Keller was effective in six scoreless innings for his club, allowing a pair of hits while striking out five.
Keller was an 11th round draft selection by the Seattle Mariners in 2010.
The Eckerd offense continued to make progress against a number of arms from the Tampa bullpen, but couldn't quite find that one key base knock to eventually break in the run column.
UT managed to escape a pair of EC threats in the seventh and eighth frames, including runners at the corners with no outs and runners at first and second with one away. The Tritons were able to manufacture five hits on the night.
Junior
Shane Bishop robbed UT's Michael Danner of extra bases to end the second inning with the bases loaded, making a spectacular one-handed leap at the warning track in deep left field to prevent further damage.
The Spartans scored earlier in the inning with a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead.
Senior reliever
Henry Langs struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning and junior starter
Richard Cruz-Sanchez was able to pitch 4 2/3 innings. Senior
Joe Clagg and freshmen left handers
Matt Mullins and
Taylor Owens all made appearances from the pen.
Cruz-Sanchez moved to 4-3 on the spring following three runs allowed on six hits. He fanned two.
Junior
Chris Hanson also recorded an extra-base hit with his eighth double of the season, lining a shot inside the right-field foul line to lead off the seventh inning.
Tampa was able to generate three runs in the eighth inning starting with an RBI double by Adam Pendleton.
The Tritons will meet the Spartans again tomorrow in Tampa for a doubleheader with the start time for game one being moved up to an 11 a.m. start as a precautionary move due to potential weather conditions.
