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TAMPA - The University of Tampa softball team may have only won once during its three-game series at rival Florida Southern, but the trip was a showcase for Lacinda Norman.
The Spartans' senior second baseman was outstanding against the Moccasins, collecting seven hits in 11 at bats, four of which went for doubles. Norman opened the series by going 4-for-4 and scoring a run in UT's 3-2 comeback win, their lone victory of the weekend. In the rest of the series, Norman hit two doubles, scored again and batted in two more runs.
Her efforts were rewarded with the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week award. In addition to her .667 batting average, Norman posted a 1.000 slugging percentage and was outstanding in the field with six putouts and eight assists.
But despite the efforts of Norman and company, UT remained third in the SSC at 8-7 (24-10 overall). The Spartans trailed second-place Rollins (10-2) by two games and first-place Florida Southern (13-2) by five.
UT hosts Eckerd in a three-game series Wednesday and Thursday before traveling to Nova Southeastern on Friday and ending the regular season at home with a three-game set against Lynn beginning April30.
BASEBALL: The Spartan men fared a little better against Florida Southern, taking two of three to inch up in the SSC standings.
With a little more than a month left in the regular season, UT, Rollins and Florida Southern each have nine wins in league play. Rollins and Florida Southern are 9-3; UT is 9-6.
Tim Duff, Erick Monzon, Alex Castellvi and Billy Wimberly played well in the two wins. They each collected two hits in the series-opening 11-6 win.
But Monzon, a senior shortstop, did not stop there. He went 2-for-4 in each of three games. In addition to batting .500, he collected three doubles, one home run, four RBIs and three runs scored. He scored one run in each game and drove in a pair of runs in each of UT's two wins.
Junior pitcher Justin Boza posted saves for UT in both wins. In five total innings, Boza allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk. He struck out six. In the series-opening 11-6 win, Boza pitched three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out five. In the second game (a 4-3 win), Boza allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk, while fanning one. He had a 1.80 ERA for the series.
UT hosts Florida Gulf Coast this weekend, Warner Southern April14 and returns to conference play April16 with a series at Eckerd.
POLLS: The baseball team remained seventh nationally in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II poll. Rollins was No.5 and Florida Southern 23rd. The Spartans softball team was No.17 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll. FSC was tied for fifth.