Box Score TAMPA, Fla. – In a game that was delayed a hour and a half due to rain earlier in the evening, the No. 1 Tampa Spartans (40-2, 14-1 SSC) used a two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to edge the Nova Southeastern Sharks (24-14, 8-11 SSC), 4-3, at the UT Baseball Field, Friday night.
With two outs, down 3-2, and pinch runner Andrew Liberty (Fr., Boca Raton, Fla.) standing on second in the top of the ninth,
Andres Visbal (Fr., Miami) came up with his biggest hit of his young collegiate career, a RBI single up the middle to tie the game at three going into the bottom half. The Spartans spoiled the Sharks rally, with a Connor Obrochta two-out solo shot over the fence in left to give the home side the first win of the three-game series.
The Sharks jumped on top of the nation's best early, scoring two runs in the first inning.
Mario Urdaneta (Jr., Ocala, Fla.) started the scoring with a double down the right field line, scoring
Geoff Jimenez (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) from second. Jimenez, earlier in the inning, picked up his 27th stolen base on the season. Visbal backed up Urdaneta's double, with his third double of the season, bringing home Urdaneta for the Sharks second run of the inning.
After a strong one, two, three first inning for
Roberto Baroniel (Sr., Miami), the Spartans broke through to the Sharks' ace, tying the game with two runs in the home half of the second. The first run came on a bases-loaded walk, followed by a bases-loaded ground out to
Kavan Thompson (So., Melbourne, Fla.) at third.
The Sharks threatened to retake the lead in the fourth, loading the bases for Jimenez with two outs. Jimenez hit a ball that looked good off the bat, heading toward the fence out in left. However, left fielder Michael Danner did a good job tracking it down and making the grab at the warning track to keep the score line even.
After Baroniel blanked the Spartans in the fourth, NSU came knocking on the door again in the fifth, putting runners on second and third with just one out. David Heintz stranded the runners, with a fly out to shallow left, then grounding out the final batter of the inning, to leave the score at 2-2 heading into the home half.
In the home half, the Spartans took their first lead of the game, with a one-out sacrifice fly to right field. Tampa threatened early in the fifth, putting runners on the corners prior to the tie-breaking fly.
The Sharks had their chances, as they left 12 runners on base, to Tampa's six.
Baroniel, despite the three earned runs, had a solid outing on the mound, giving up just seven hits and striking out five in 6.1 innings of work.
Josh Glick (So., Boca Raton, Fla.) (L, 1-2) allowed two hits and just the lone run in 2.1 innings on the mound for the Sharks.
Kevin McNorton (W, 5-0) picked up the win for the Spartans, allowing one earned on two hits, in 2.2 innings on the mound.
These teams will conclude their series with a doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
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