Sports

Colleges

Florida Southern sweeps former No. 1 Tampa

By ROD GIPSON
Published April 3, 2005

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TAMPA - Tampa and Florida Southern spent time as the No. 1 team in Division II baseball this season. But they were miles apart during Saturday's doubleheader, as Florida Southern totaled 31 hits, including 10 doubles, to sweep the Spartans.

Tampa (28-8, 9-3 Sunshine State Conference) appeared poised to take the series after a 5-1 victory Friday night. But Florida Southern's bats came alive Saturday in 10-6 and 13-2 victories.

Tampa, ranked No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball, remained first in the SSC and No. 5 FSC moved to a tie for third with a month left in the regular season.

"We didn't fight hard all the way through and that was disappointing," UT coach Joe Urso said. "They came out and just out-talented us for two games. They showed they were a better team."

The Spartans led briefly in the opener when centerfielder Roberto Valiente hit a two-run homer. But Florida Southern (28-5, 5-4) rebounded. UT got within 5-4 in the fourth inning but the Moccasins put it away in the fourth when Nick Diyorio and Matt Joyce hit doubles to spark a four-run inning.

Florida Southern's offense was even more potent in the second game as it scored four in the second inning and cruised to the 11-run victory. Diyorio had six hits in the two games, including four doubles, for FSC. SAINT LEO 6-3, FLORIDA TECH 12-2: Saint Leo rebounded after a loss to Florida Tech to win its second game in the SSC doubleheader.

UCF 18, STETSON 11: No. 18 UCF belted three home runs and had 21 hits.

Football

UCF SCRIMMAGE: In UCF's first scrimmage of the spring, junior tailback Dontavius Wilcox ran for 109 yards against the first-team defense, including a 30-yard touchdown. The offense scored three touchdowns and two field goals. The quarterbacks were led by junior Steven Moffett, who went 6-for-8 for 111 yards.

AUGUSTA STATE INVITATIONAL: The UCF men shot 27-over 315 for ninth place after the first round. East Tennessee State shot 15-over 303 to take the lead. Host Augusta State was a shot back in second.

BRYAN NATIONAL: The UF women shot 305 in the second round for fourth with 595. Duke led the field with 1-over 577. The final round is today.

RYDER CUP: Miami women led the tournament by four strokes after turning in a second-round 307 for a 609 total. South Florida (308) and FSU (306) were tied for second. UCF (626) was in fifth. A victory for Miami would give the Hurricanes their first state championship since 1993. ... Miami senior Tina Miller led South Florida's Amanda Smith by one stroke in the standings. The final round is today.

Softball

FLORIDA SPLITS: Florida split a doubleheader, 4-12 and 3-2, handing Georgia its first Southeastern Conference loss of the season. Weather was a factor with wind gusts of up to 35 mph.

FSU 4-3, VIRGINIA TECH 2-2: FSU defeated Virginia Tech twice while the field was dedicated to 27-year coach JoAnne Graf.

TAMPA 6-10, ECKERD 1-0: Tampa completed the sweep of a three-game series against the Tritons.

USF DOUBLEHEADER: USF opened its three-game series against Conference USA foe East Carolina, dropping the first game 2-1, then winning the second 4-3 in 11 innings.

Swimming

U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS: Florida qualified four for the 2008 Olympic Trials and earned two top-eight finishes on the day.

Tennis

FSU 7, CLEMSON 0: No. 26 FSU men upset No. 19 Clemson in an Atlantic Coast Conference match. The win snapped a three-match losing streak to the Tigers.

UF 4, GEORGIA 3: UF freshman Greg Ouellette propelled the ninth-ranked Gator men to the win over No. 8 Georgia. It's the team's ninth win in as many outings.

UNC 6, FSU 1: No. 32 Florida State women fell to No. 16 North Carolina. Senior Mihaela Moldovan picked up the single point, winning at No. 1 singles against the Tar Heels' Aniela Mojzis.

Track

USF INVITATIONAL: USF men's and women's teams closed out the final day of competition. USF's Jonathan Miller won the pole vault a third straight year with a 16-foot vault. Chandra Brewer led the women with a second-place finish in the shot put with a 53-foot-73/4 throw.

RICE BAYOUR CLASSIC: Miami senior Kim Barrett won the shot put and set a school record with a toss of 56 feet, 51/2 inches in Houston.

Times wires and other news organizations contributed to this report.

[Last modified April 3, 2005, 00:10:19]

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