The University of Tampa’s baseball field was a graced with a sea of red and black supporters, ready to watch the defending national champions start their journey to defend their national championship in a day/night doubleheader against Bentley University.
Pre Game festivities started as early as 3pm with game time scheduled at 4pm. Not only were fans and UT students there to support, but Tampa baseball alumni also made an appearance. These included the likes of eight members from last year’s championship team, as well as legendary alum and baseball great, Tino Martinez.
With the last words of the national anthem still ringing in everyone’s ear, Trey Oest, a sophomore transfer from Division I powerhouse Virginia, took the mound ready and eager to make his Spartan debut in game one.
The first inning couldn’t have gone any better for the Spartans and Oest, as the team started the season with a 1-2-3 first inning, including a strikeout. Connor Obrochta then proceeded to lead off the bottom of the first with a triple. Second baseman Orlando Rivera promptly gave Tampa the lead with an RBI groundout. The season was off to a great start.
Florida State transfer Giovanni Alfonzo showcased his five-tool ability early on in the contest with a run saving, tremendous, defensive play to end the second inning. Tampa first baseman Tyler Ding then hit a strong line drive to left center field to drive in Rivera for the second run of the game.
Bentley’s offense appeared to wake up in the second inning where they collected a few hits and stranded two men on base, but this progress was stalled when Oest got back into a zone and struck out the last two batters of the fourth inning in three pitches each.
Oest left after the fifth inning with a scoreline of five innings pitched, three hits allowed and four strikeouts. It was a solid debut by the sophomore from nearby Brandon, Florida. Bentley began to capitalize on Oest’s departure and strung together some timely hitting and were helped out by fielding errors to capture their first and only run of the game on a fielder’s choice.
Ding again appeared in a big way, this time with a lead preserving bare-hand putout on a rocket line drive to second base. This play held Bentley’s catcher, Bryan Rocha, on third after a promising start to the inning.
Just when the game was winding down and the intensity and tension began to rise, the unfortunate happened. With a man on second, Rivera hit a scorching shot to first. It got away from the first baseman and it looked like as if with a good amount of hustle Rivera would have himself a well-deserved infield hit. Instead, as he broke from the batters circle, his legs gave out beneath him and he fell to one knee. He left the game with an apparent hamstring injury. It will be interesting to see how soon Rivera can recover and how the Spartans will cope with the early loss of a very crucial player.
Tampa closer Kevin McNorton relieved Preston Packrall in the eighth, attempting to seal the win and earn his first save of the young season. All went well in the eighth inning and he delivered a swinging strikeout to end the game, therefor notching his first save in an impression fashion and more importantly the first Spartan victory of the season.
The momentum carried over to the second game and Tampa got the 5-2 victory, led by junior Nick Tindall’s home run and freshman Jake Mielock’s brilliant pitching. The Spartans ended the long baseball day 2-0 and set themselves up for a Sunday sweep. These victories will serve as great preparations for their impending trip to South Carolina to take on Mount Olive, South Carolina – Aiken, and Shepherd, this weekend Feb. 7-9.
Jorge Echavarria can be reached at jorge.echavarria@spartans.ut.edu.