TAMPA, Fla. –  The University of Tampa softball team swept Southwest Minnesota State in the Spring Break doubleheader, as the offense came alive in the mid-week showdown.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME ONE):

Final: Tampa 7 (W: Makaleigh Dooley, 11-5), SMSU 1 (L: Megan Cull, 2-2)
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (13-9, 6-6 SSC), Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (4-5)
Location: Naimoli Family Field || Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: The Spartans have won all five games; sweeping Southwest Minn. State in last year’s series, out-scoring the Mustangs 9-1 in two games. 
Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Follow @Tampa_Softball on Twitter and Instagram for live updates and social media content.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

BOT 1st: The Spartans carried over the momentum from the weekend series and logged two runs in the first inning. Three straight singles from Cristina Clauberg, Corynn Miner and Sam Worrell guided UT to their first run of the ball-game. With two outs and the bases loaded, Stephanie Balmer grinded out her team-leading 10th walk of the season to give Tampa a two-run lead. 

BOT 2nd: Lauren Pascoe led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second after Miner walked. Worrell stepped to the plate and registered an RBI single to increase UT’s lead.

BOT 4th: Erica Matich logged her first base-hit of the season and Miner drew her second walk of the game. Worrell, a senior transfer from USF, connected on an RBI double to give Tampa a four-run lead. 

BOT 5th: With a four-run lead, Balmer singled to right field and stole her second base of the season. Sam Kaye made her sixth plate appearance of the season and took advantage of the opportunity. Kaye hit a scorcher at the second basemen and the base-knock trickled into right field which allowed Balmer to score from second. 

TOP 6th: Southwest Minnesota State’s Alex Reak led off the inning with a base-hit to left field. After a single and a sacrifice, Madysson Schliinz pushed across the first run of the game for the Mustangs with a bloop single to left field. 

BOT 6th: To lead off the inning, Miner lasered a pitch over the right-fielder for her second triple of the season which leads the team. Lauren Reyes helped the cause with a sacrifice fly to extend the Spartans’ lead to 6-1. Amelia Iacovino logged her first base-hit as a Spartan, as she transferred from Florida Atlantic University, with a double off the left-center field fence. Alissa Carfora roped a pitch off the pitcher’s leg which moved Iacovino to third base. With two outs, Dooley put the ball in play and Iacovino scored on an error by the SMSU shortstop.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Dooley tossed her 12th complete game in 14 starts; the senior struck out nine batters and did not allow a walk.
• Miner went 2-for-2 with a triple and two walks. The red-shirt sophomore has registered six hits in the last three games.
• Carfora, a freshman from New Jersey, made the first plate appearance of her collegiate career and recorded a base-knock.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Dooley has not allowed a walk in 10 of her 14 starts. 
• Iacovino registered her first base-hit as a Spartan; the sophomore transferred to UT from Florida Atlantic University.
• Worrell has recorded three RBI in back-to-back games. The USF transfer racked up three-hits in a game for the first time at UT.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP (GAME TWO):

Final: Tampa 8 (W: Corynn Miner, 3-2), SMSU 0 (L: Athena Golling, 2-3)
Records: University of Tampa Spartans (14-9, 6-6 SSC), Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs (4-6)
Location: Naimoli Family Field || Tampa, Fla.
All-Time Series: The Spartans have won all six games; sweeping Southwest Minn. State in last year’s series, out-scoring the Mustangs 9-1 in two games. 
Follow Us: @TampaSpartans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Follow @Tampa_Softball on Twitter and Instagram for live updates and social media content.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

BOT 2nd: The Spartans chipped away in the early innings, as UT scored two runs on five singles. Maddie Farrell drove in the first run of the ball-game with a base-knock to center field, and an infield single from Emalee Jansen provided Tampa with a two-run lead.

BOT 5th: Jansen led off the inning, reaching base on an error by the shortstop. With two outs, Sam Worrell continued her hot-hitting with an infield single and she was followed up by a Bailey Phillips hit-by-pitch. The Spartans rattled off five straight singles and scored a total of six runs in the fifth inning to mercy rule the Mustangs.

INSIDE THE STATS:

• Miner made her fifth start of the year and recorded her fourth complete game; the red-shirt sophomore struck out three batters and allowed only one walk.
• Farrell went 3-for-3, with 3 RBI; the junior has registered eight hits in the last five games, including two three-hit performances.
• Four Spartans notched two hits apiece (Jansen, Worrell, Chevalier, Reyes). 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Jansen tied her career-high with three RBI, which she accomplished as a freshman on March 16, 2018 against Nova Southeastern.
• The Spartans scored all eight runs with two outs.

UP NEXT: The University of Tampa will travel to Boca Raton this weekend for a three-game series against Lynn University. First pitch on Friday, March 15 is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

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