TAMPA, Fla.—The Barry Buccaneers took the top-ranked Tampa Spartans to the brink before dropping a 3-2 decision at the UT Baseball Field Friday night in the Sunshine State Conference series opener.
The Bucs (17-9, 1-6 SSC) led 2-0 after a fifth-inning blast from JC Cardenas gave them the lead. With two outs, Carlos Matamoros doubled and scored ahead of Cardenas’ homer, his fourth of the season.
Adrian Benitez made the runs stand up until the eighth inning. The Buccaneer right-hander held the Spartans high-octane offense in check, giving up just two hits in seven innings and striking out four.
But after giving up a single to Orlando Rivera to start the eighth, he gave way to the bullpen and they could not hold the lead. Joeanthony Rivera came in to pitch and got two outs, but gave up a single to Connor Obrachta and Michael Danner drove in both runs with a single to right.
In the ninth, Nick Tindale doubled off Calvin Rayburn (1-1) to lead off the inning. One out later, pinch runner Brett Jones stole third and scored on a single by Giovanny Alfonso.
Logan Lapace (1-0) worked three scoreless innings in relief to earn his first win of the season. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out four. Rayburn, in two-thirds of an inning, allowed one run on two hits and struck out one.
The series continues tomorrow with a twinbill at 1:00 pm.
(03/21/14 at Tampa, FL)
Tampa 3, Barry 2
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Barry................... 000 020 000 - 2 8 0 (17-9, 1-6 SSC)
Tampa............... 000 000 021 - 3 7 1 (26-1, 7-0 SSC)
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Pitchers: Barry - Adrian Benitez; Joeanthony Rivera(8); Calvin Rayburn(8) and Greg Brodzinski. Tampa - Trey Oest; Logan LaPace(7) and Nick Tindall.
Win-Logan LaPace(1-0) Loss-Calvin Rayburn(1-1) T-2:40 A-192
HR BARRY - JC Cardenas (4).
Weather: Partly cloudy
Benitez faced 1 batter in the 8th.