AUGUSTA, Ga.  – The GRU Augusta Jaguars dropped game three of the series to No. 1 Tampa 13-4 on Sunday afternoon to give the Spartans the series sweep at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

While the battling the rain all day, the Jags (4-6) went with sophomore Tristan Jones on the mound to wrap up the series against the Spartans. Jones made his second start of the year and gave up a 1-0 lead to UT in the top of the second on two hits. Cody deNoyelles singled with one out and took second on a passed ball. Brett Jones, the designated hitter, slapped a single to the right-side to plate the runner for an unearned run.

Brad Hencke sat down the Jaguars three-up, three down in the first five innings, despite Drew Taylor knocking a single in the second, before he was caught stealing . Tampa got a 3-0 advantage to work with after the top of the fourth when an error put deNoyelles on and Nick Tindall blasted a two-run homer to left field for two more unearned runs.

Jones (0-1) gave up three runs, but all were unearned in his 5.0 innings pitched, surrendering three hits and striking out two. Hencke (2-1) tossed 6.0 innings and gave up four hits for two runs.

GRU brought in right fielder Clint Hardy to pitch in the sixth. After a single and a walk, a base-hit bunt loaded the bases. Two sacrifice fly balls scored two more Spartans for a 5-0 advantage

The shutout was eliminated in the bottom of the sixth inning when Hunter Boose and Nick Rau drove in two RBI to make it 5-2. With two runners on, Hencke got Jaguar cleanup-hitter Drew Taylor to chase on a pitch out of the zone to get out of the inning.

A single and double started Tampa's eighth inning on GRU relief pitcher Adam Grice. deNoyelles lined a homerun off the left-field wall to build a 8-2 lead and the Jags brought in Zach Ledbetter on the mound.

Tampa plated two more go up and the Jags went to the bullpen again, this time to lefty Phil Dukes. Dukes struck out the three-hole hitter with the bases loaded to get out of the eighth inning, but Tampa poured on more extra-base hits to build a 13-4 score for the final.

The Jags were outhit 28-38 in the three-game stint and left 21 men on base. Hardy, Rau, and Taylor all had five hits in the series.

The Jags host West Georgia on Wednesday, Feb. 25 for a 2:00 p.m. non-conference game at Lake Olmstead Stadium. GRU already played the Wolves once this year on Feb. 3, dropping a close 4-3 game to West Georgia.

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