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TAMPA - The University of Tampa baseball team trails rival Florida Southern in the Sunshine State Conference standings, but in the all-important South Region poll, UT has the edge.
The Spartans (30-12, 9-6 SSC) are third in the league. FSC (26-14, 9-3) is atop the SSC, aided by the Moccasins' 5-4 nonconference win over UT on April 5.
Still, the Spartans are second in their Division II region rankings. FSC checks in at No. 4. SSC foe Rollins (35-7, 11-4) is first, and Catawba (33-14) is No. 3. The poll determines the top four squads, which advance to regional tournaments beginning May 13.
With a month remaining in the regular season and two conference series left, including a three-game set at Eckerd this weekend and three games at Lynn at the end of the month, Tampa appears to be a lock for another regional invitation. The Spartans have been to the South Region tourney four straight years. And outside of not reaching the postseason in 1999, they have played in the NCAA Tournament every year since 1986.
But, their potential seeding could change.
Florida Southern and Rollins have a huge series April 23-24 that could affect positioning, and Catawba has key league matchups to play. UT, with remaining SSC opponents it went 5-1 against earlier this season, appears to be in an advantageous position.
SOFTBALL: The Spartans outscored Eckerd 26-2 in their three-game series sweep, with UT batting .375 compared to 0.88 for the Tritons.
In three games, UT had a 0.82 ERA to Eckerd's 10.50. UT won the games 9-1, 8-0 and 9-1.
Freshman Devlin Dougherty and junior Melissa Holmes combined to no-hit Eckerd 8-0 in the second game. Dougherty pitched five innings, allowing one walk while facing 17 batters and striking out four. Holmes entered in the sixth, striking out two of three hitters.
"We weren't thinking about a no-hitter," coach Leslie Kanter said. "We just saw an opportunity to get Melissa some innings."
Dougherty led UT's offense with two hits and four RBIs. UT (27-10, 11-7) won the nightcap when Natalie Ippolito smacked a two-run single and Becky Testin (12-3) produced a two-run double for a four-run second inning.
Testin cruised through the Tritons lineup, which went a combined 10 hitless innings in the doubleheader until Amy McGathy broke things up with a leadoff single in the fifth. WOMEN'S TENNIS: The SSC Championships begin Friday at Rollins in Winter Park.
UT enters as the sixth-seed and faces No. 3 Barry, ranked 13th nationally in the ITA poll.
Top-seeded Lynn (17-1, 7-0 SSC) is No. 3 in the rankings. The Knights are joined in the poll by three other SSC teams. In addition to Barry, host Rollins is fifth and fourth-seeded Florida Southern is No. 26. Fifth-seeded Eckerd, the No. 6 Spartans, No. 7 Saint Leo and No. 8 Florida Tech also are competing.
Seven SSC players appear in the latest ITA women's top 50, five in the top 20.
Ranked women's players include Rollins' Vanessa Caddick (No. 3), Lynn's Dragana Ilic (No. 9), Barry's Natascha Loebnitz (No. 10), Lynn's Monika Mastalirova (No. 11), Barry's Gizela Trotman (No. 14), Rollins' Lindsey Soffes (No. 30) and Florida Southern's Linda Mrkic (No. 39).