AUGUSTA, Ga.  – The GRU Augusta baseball team took a 1-0 lead in the first inning over No. 1 Tampa for the second-straight day, but the Spartans rallied back to take a 10-4 game for their second non-conference victory of the series.

GRU Augusta (4-5) dropped game one of the series 11-3 to the Spartans on Friday, Feb. 20. In game two on Saturday night, Tampa (10-1) gave up another 1-0 lead in the first inning to the Jags. GRU leadoff man Clint Hardy reached on an error and two batters later, Nick Rau slapped a single into center field for an early RBI.

It didn't last long as Tampa drove in four runs on four hits in the top of the third to take a 4-1 lead off Jaguar starter David Hagelston. The deficit was cut when GRU brought in another run in the bottom of the third off back-to-back singles. Clint Hardy drove one to the left side and advanced to second on a throwing error, before Hunter Boose ripped one to center field to bring in the runner on second for a 4-2 game.

CJ Reed leadoff GRU's fourth inning with a double, and a balk from Tampa starter Chase Sparkman brought him to third. Next up, Christopher Michals followed suite with a double down the right-field line to make it a one-run game. Sparkman was pulled after the double, he pitched 3.0 innings and gave up six hits for three runs in the win and Barrow (1-0) Dylan Barrow came in to get the win. 

New Tampa pitcher Dylan Barrow took over the mound and got his first three batters out that he faced. In the bottom of the seventh, the Jags knocked back-to-back singles from Michals and Bradley Dennis to put runners on first and third. Brent Alford hit a hard groundball to first base, but it resulted in the third out to get Barrow out of the inning.

Tamps got two on in the top of seventh and the Jags brought in shortstop Hunter Boose to pitch. Boose gave up a two-RBI single up the middle, before a triple and single built the Tampa lead to 8-3. UT outlasted GRU for a 10-4 final.

Hagelston (1-1) took the loss in 2.2 innings pitched, giving up five hits for four runs (three earned). The GRU offense was sparked by Rau's 3-4 day with an RBI. Hardy and Michals each had two hits apiece.

The Jags are scheduled to conclude the series tomorrow, Sunday Feb. 22 with a 1:00 p.m. single non-conference game at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

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