TAMPA --- The Mississippi College baseball team battled, but came up short in its doubleheader at the No. 1 University of Tampa on Friday, March 4. The Choctaws (5-12) saw UT rally from four down to snatch a 6-5 victory in the opening game. The Spartans (15-1) claimed the series with a 5-2 win in the night cap.
The two squads close out the non-conference series on Saturday, March 5 with a single-game. First pitch at UT Baseball Field is at Noon central.
Ken Scott led the way at the dish with three hits in the twinbill, including a multiple-hit effort in the opening contest.
Markarius Lee collected a team-best two RBI, both coming in the opener as he doubled down the left field line to give MC a 3-0 lead.
Cooper Gadman (0-1) took the loss on the mound in the first game. He surrendered a solo home run off the bat of Dan Sullivan in the eighth inning to break a 5-all deadlock. The home run was the second of the game for Sullivan as he belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the third.
Following a sacrifice fly to knot the contest at 4-all, Nicholas Winkelmeyer placed the Red and White up 5-4 through four frames.
MC tied the game in the top of the fifth as it pulled off a double steal with
Jackson Breedlove swiping home.
Joseph Cuomo tossed 4.1 innings in the start for the Choctaws. He allowed five runs on eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
David Dunn tossed a scoreless 2.2 innings in relief as he struck out one, walked one and gave up one hit.
Tampa got all the run support it needed in its first trip to the plate as it scored three runs. E.J. Cumbo kickstarted the scoring with a two-run home run – the third long ball of the day for the nation's top team.
Lee placed the Choctaws on the board in the top of the second as he scooted across the dish on a
Cody Crifasi groundout. The Navy and Gold plated its second run of the game in the fourth as Breedlove singled through the right side to score
Tristan Tigrett.
UT added two insurance runs in the home half of the fourth to help secure the three-run, series-clinching victory.
Austin Huggins (0-2) was saddled with the setback in the decision. He allowed three runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
Gavin LeBlanc tossed three innings in relief with two runs on three hits with four strikeouts.
The Choctaws totaled 13 hits in the doubleheader.
Tampa marks the sixth nationally-ranked opponent on the Choctaws' ledger to start the season.
