TAMPA, Fla. - You cannot fault the Davenport baseball team for their effort on Monday night as they battled No. 4 Tampa down to the final out in a 2-1 loss to the Spartans. In the first meeting between the schools, E.J. Doskow played out every kid's fantasy by hitting a two-out, walk-off homer on the first pitch he saw from
Spencer Vainavicz and hit a no-doubter to left field for Tampa's 11th win of the season.
This game was a well-played showdown as
Carson Fischer and Ashton Pocol were entrenched in a pitcher's duel for the first four innings. Fischer continued on the mound and then Alex Canney took over on the mound for Tampa in the fifth inning and continued to put up zeros.
E.J. Cumbo got the sixth inning started for Tampa with an infield single. Cumbo had half of UT's hits going 4-for-4 with a run scored. His run was scored after Drew Ehrhard followed with a single moving Cumbo to third. J.D. Urso grounded into a double play to score Cumbo for the 1-0 lead.
Davenport would tie the game in the top of the eighth off Jack Brodsky, the third pitcher of the game for the Spartans.
Logan Hylek reached on a throwing error and
Gaetano Vallone drew a four-pitch walk to set up the threat.
Coltrane Rubner could not get a bunt down and struck out, but both runners were given the steal sign and they both moved into scoring position. Braydon Nelson, an All-America selection with 20 saves last season, came on to pitch and
Ben Mets filled the count before a sacrifice fly to right center as Hylek scored.
Fischer finished with six innings and just one run with one walk and four strikeouts before Vainavicz took over to start the seventh inning. He became the pitcher of record when DU tied it in the eighth and for two innings held Tampa off the board. Nelson struck out the side in the top of the ninth and Tampa was sat out with two outs in the ninth before the final blow.
Five different Panthers had one hit and 10 strikeouts were recorded by the Spartan pitchers. DU (3-6) will look to shake it off with a game tomorrow against Gannon back in Davenport, Florida. First pitch is set for 5:30 PM at Northeast Regional Park. The Panthers are 6-1 in the all-time series with the Golden Knights.
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