TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Power Surge Carries Spartans

ADVERTISEMENT

By SCOTT PURKS

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 18, 2008

TAMPA - University of Tampa third baseman Nolan Brannon smacked a baseball over the right-center field fence in the first inning Saturday, and for the third consecutive day UT was on its way to an uncharacteristic power surge.

Tampa - which had hit only 35 home runs in 48 games before the NCAA Division II South Regional began Thursday - has hit seven homers, collected 48 hits, 18 extra-base hits, and scored 43 runs to go 3-0 in the tournament.

Saturday the Spartans collected 10 hits, including four home runs, to beat Catawba 12-7.

"We're definitely swinging the bats real well right now," said Brannon, who hit another home run in the seventh inning. "But we also know it's only been three games. We're keeping it in perspective."

UT coach Joe Urso pointed out the hitting has been timely, with Brannon's first home run serving as a perfect example.

"We get two outs right away and then a couple of walks and then Brannon gets a hold of one," Urso said. "It doesn't get any more timely than that. And that first home run was huge. It puts us up three against a great pitcher."

UT (41-9-1) took a 4-0 lead into the fifth before Catawba (42-17) came back with five runs in the top of the fifth. Urso kept starter Kevin Ferguson in the game even though he gave up six hits, including a homer, in the inning.

"He was working the counts well and looked fine, but Catawba is a good hitting team and they just got on a little run there," Urso said. "We wanted to get six innings out of Ferguson and that's what we ended up getting. It worked out."

Anthony Perez came in to finish the final three innings, which were a little less tight after UT scored one in the sixth inning, four in the seventh and three more in the eighth. It also helped that UT played error-free baseball for the third straight game.

If UT wins today at 1 p.m. against Catawba, the winner of the losers' bracket, the Spartans will be crowned South Region champion and will earn a chance to win an unprecedented third consecutive national championship. The national championship is being held this year in Sauget, Ill., on May 24-31.

But, Urso said, there's no way the Spartans are getting ahead of themselves.

"We've talked a lot about positioning ourselves for this chance to win the regional," Urso said. "Now we just have to win one more."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT