MONTGOMERY, Ala – The University of Tampa will play for the National Championship for the second year in a row after an 8-1 victory over the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles on Wednesday.
Ryan Kennedy led the Spartans with a 4-for-5 effort, driving in two runs and hitting a double. Kennedy’s double in the fifth scored Junior Mejia, but Mejia scored on an error, so Kennedy did not earn an RBI.
The Spartans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first after the Eagles committed two errors in the inning. Craig Corrado and Nolan Brannon picked up the RBI in the first.
Starting pitcher Scott Chapman took a perfect game into the fourth inning when he finally surrendered a hit. Chapman gave up one run in seven innings while allowing five hits and no walks.
Tampa struck again in the bottom of the fourth, as Troy Ferguson doubled home Mejia, who had reached on a single. Kennedy scored Ferguson on a single after a pitching change.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tampa pulled away, scoring three more.
Southern Indiana failed to score until the top of the seventh, when they finally got to Chapman for three hits and a run. Darin Mastroianni tripled to left and scored on a single.
Johnny Williams relieved Chapman in the eight and didn’t allowed a baserunner. Chapman moved to 8-0 on the season.
Craig Benner closed out the game, giving up only a hit and a walk in the top of the ninth.
The Spartans return to the National Championship game in Riverwalk Stadium at Montgomery, Ala. Tampa will face Columbus State (48-18) on Friday, June 1. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT) and can be watched online at http://tampaspartans.athleticsite.com/webcast.asp
The game will also be broadcast locally on Catch 47.