WINTER PARK, Fla. (April 17, 2026) - The marquee series of the 2026 season kicked off on Friday, though it did not go the Tars' way as they fell 6-1 to the Tampa Spartans. #10 Rollins now stands at 27-10, 17-5 SSC while #5 Tampa improves to 31-7, 17-2 SSC.
Both teams left a runner stranded in scoring position in the first and the second innings. However, the third inning saw things change in a hurry.
Noah Greenseid started the inning with a strikout, a single, and a flyout. The next batter, Jhoander Irigoyen, hit a line drive to third base that bounced off
Jimmy Thies' glove and rolled into left. The error allowed a run to score and keep the inning alive. With the new life, the next three hitters went single, home run, single, and held a 4-0 lead by the time the inning was over. '
Mauri Bejarano did his best to get the Tars back in the game, leading off the bottom of the third with a triple.
Joey Rubin brought him in with a sac fly, but no further damaged was done as the game stood at 4-1.
Tampa added a fifth run on a groundout in the fifth.
Robert Ogg then took over in the sixth, and fired a perfect frame. He then overcame a runner in the seventh when Rubin made a great stab up the middle to turn a 6-4-3 double play. Rollins threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but a double play of their own killed the momentum with two men on.
After another clean frame in the eighth from Ogg, Rollins looked prime to capitalize when they had runners on the corners and no outs. However, after pinch-runner
Ethan Beal slid into third, Tampa wasn't exactly hustling to get to the next batter. About 30 seconds after Beal had slid in safely, he took his lead off the bag and was tagged out as the Spartans successfully executed the hidden ball trick. The out destroyed the momentum for the Tars as the next hitters were put away.
Tampa added the sixth and final run in the ninth inning on a single.
Michael Furry singled ot lead off the ninth, but the next three hitters were put out, ending the game.
Robert Satin earned the win for Tampa, firing a complete game with six strikeouts. Greenseid took the loss, his first of the season, with a final line of five innings, ten hits, one earned run, and three strikeouts. Ogg threw four innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits with two punchouts. Furry, Thies, and Bejarano each ahd two hits to lead the offense.
The two tea,s will square off for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 18 with first pitch of game one coming at noon.
