When the University of Tampa baseball team has struggled this season, it has been their defense that has let them down.
Last weekend the Spartans made some changes defensively, moving the sure-handed Ryan Kennedy to shortstop and Roberto Mena to second base. Right fielder Paul Cruz also made the switch to center field, and Jose Jimenez has found a new spot at third base.
The defensive changes worked. The problem was Tampa couldn’t put any runs on the board.
UT scored just nine runs in three games as the Lynn University Fighting Knights took two of three games from Tampa in the series. It was the first Sunshine State Conference series loss for the Tampa in three years.
Game 1
Tampa closer Jonathan Holt had been close to perfect all year.
On Friday night he was anything but. Holt blew a three-run lead, but Junior Mejia bailed him out with a game-winning single in the 10th inning to give the Spartans a 4-3 win over Lynn (11-7, 27-17) in the series opener.
After a Troy Ferguson double in the 10th, Mejia singled up the middle, giving the Spartans (33-9, 11-4) their first extra inning win of the season.
“It was a huge win for us,” Mejia said. “With only 12 games left in the season, we know every game is important if we want to host the South Regional tournament.”
UT held a 3-0 lead heading into the eighth inning, but the Fighting Knights roughed up Holt, pounding out two doubles and a single in the inning to tie the game.
Kevin Ferguson threw seven shutout innings for UT. He surrendered just four hits but did not factor in the decision.
Mejia finished 2-for-5 with one RBI. Craig Corrado added two hits and an RBI.
The Spartans scored the first two runs of the contest in the fifth inning after an RBI single from Chris Rosenbaum, and an error from Lynn second baseman Steve De La Torre that allowed Nolan Brannon to score. A double from Charlie Raley in the seventh inning made the score 3-0 before the Fighting Knights made their comeback.
The win was a crucial won for UT, following a tough ninth inning loss against 13-25 Palm Beach Atlantic just four days earlier.
Game 2
The first game of Saturday’s double header was a frustrating one for Tampa. UT failed to take advantage of many offensive opportunities as Lynn evened the series with a 6-4 win.
Tampa had 12 hits but could muster only four runs as they struggled with their situational hitting.
Twice the Spartans had a runner on third with less than two outs but failed to drive in the run.
Ross Jackson threw 6 2/3 innings, giving up 10 hits and six runs, three of them earned.
UT made a comeback in the ninth inning, cutting the deficit to two runs. Mena stepped to the plate as the tying run but cued a ground ball to the first baseman to end the game.
Game 3
Tampa suffered their second most lopsided defeat of the season when Lynn won the second game of Saturday’s double header 6-1.
Johnny Williams struggled early, and the bullpen was just as bad in relief. Williams pitched 2+ innings, giving up four hits, two walks and three earned runs.
Scott Leffler came in to relieve Williams but had trouble finding the strike zone. He did not allow a hit, but he gave up three runs in 1 and 1/3 innings after walking four of the nine batters he faced.
UT jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after an RBI single from Corrado, but Lynn scored three runs in both the third and fourth inning to take a 6-1 lead.
Mejia did not think Tampa’s offensively struggles had anything to do with the recent defensive changes.
“It’s just something that happens in baseball. Teams will struggle at times,” Mejia said. “But it isn’t anything we can’t fix. We are really looking forward to turning things around against Florida Tech.”
The Spartans travel to Florida Tech on Friday, April 20 to take on the Florida Tech Panthers in a three game series.
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