Sports

Colleges

Tampa refuses to fold, wins title

By GRAHAM DUNN
Published June 4, 2006

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. - After being benched in the final week of the regular season, junior Chris Rosenbaum had spent most of the NCAA Division II baseball tournament watching the Tampa Spartans from the end of the bench.

He had not had an at-bat before he got the call from coach Joe Urso in the 10th inning with two outs and the winning run standing on second base in Saturday's national title game against Cal State Chico at Riverwalk Stadium.

He would make the most of his one opportunity.

"He had worked so hard to earn the starting job as the catcher and then he hit a slump in the last week of the season," Urso said. "All week long he has been doing extremely well in batting practice, getting those hits to the opposite field. It was set up for him to have a big hit and he came through for us."

Rosenbaum's single scored Lee Cruz and lifted the top-ranked Spartans to a 3-2 win that gave Tampa (54-6) its fourth title and first since 1998.

"It is what you dream about," Rosenbaum said. "Everyone wants a chance to get into a game like this and have a big hit. I got a pitch on the outer half of the plate and drove it the other way."

Rosenbaum's winning hit came after Tampa needed a rally to tie in the ninth.

The teams were tied 1-1 until the eighth, when Chico State's Daniel Code singled in Greg Finazzo with two outs off of Tampa's Aaron Cook.

Tampa followed with its own two-out magic in the ninth when Troy Ferguson singled to left to score Craig Corrado.

Billy Spottiswood retired the first two batters in the ninth before Corrado and Roberto Mena hit back-to-back singles. Ferguson followed with his second hit of the game.

"People look at our 54 wins and think this has been a cakewalk," Urso said. "We've been in a lot of tight ballgames all season. But this team has that personality of being able to come back. It has been such a joy to watch. I am proud of every one of them."

It looked as though the Wildcats would be celebrating after Code's eighth-inning single. But they could not come up with the final out in the ninth to earn what would have been the school's third national championship in baseball.

"We got down to our last strike and you would think that would be enough," Chico State coach Lindsay Meggs said. "Unfortunately there is no clock in baseball and you play 27 outs and sometimes it isn't enough."

Chico (46-21) opened the scoring in the second on a double to right by Robby Scott that scored Christopher Sweeney with two outs.

Tampa tied it in the sixth after Roberto Mena doubled to left-center and later scored on an error by Chico State shortstop Jesus Luna. Tampa starter Ross Jackson pitched seven innings, giving up a run on three hits before being lifted. He struck out seven and walked two.

Cook (9-1) pitched two innings to pick up the win. Segio Perez came in relief in the 10th to pick up the save.

Chico State starter Nick Bryant was lifted with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth. Garrett Rieck ended Tampa's threat.

Spottiswood (10-6) took the loss.

Cruz of Pasco High was named the tournament's MVP.

Division I

ATHENS, Ga., - Travis Anderson's three-run homer in the sixth led Florida State to a 6-4 win over host Georgia in the NCAA Athens Regional.

"Obviously, that was the biggest hit of the night," said FSU coach Mike Martin. "We want to get excited, but we have not accomplished anything yet. There is still a lot of baseball to be played."

Florida State (44-19) advanced to the finals, where it awaits the winner of today's Georgia-Jacksonville game. Yet to pitch for the Seminoles is staff ace Brian Henry.

FSU 18, JACKSONVILLE 0:

Reliever Travis Burge tacked on two scoreless innings of relief as the Seminoles completed a rout of the Dolphins in a game that was suspended Friday by lightning. Tony Thomas, Shane Robinson and Josh Spivey homered to highlight an 18-hit FSU attack that was aided by 10 walks and one hit batsman.

GEORGIA 11, SACRED HEART 0:

Mickey Westphal pitched a three-hitter as the host Bulldogs won a game postponed from Friday by rain. Jason Jacobs broke open a close game with a two-out, two-strike, bases-clearing double in the fifth inning.

JACKSONVILLE 4, SACRED HEART 3:

Daniel Murphy had three hits and drove in a run during a two-run eighth that lifted the Dolphins in an elimination game.

TULANE 12, BETHUNE-COOKMAN 7:

In Oxford, Miss., Nathan Southard drove in four runs and Billy Mohl improved to 9-0 as the Green Wave (42-20) eliminated the Wildcats (30-27).

[Last modified June 4, 2006, 01:17:19]

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