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TAMPA — Two groggy teams lurched into each other in Saturday night's NCAA Division II South Region action at Tampa University.

One regained its balance and snapped right back. The other came to life too late.

Catawba (N.C.) College still is standing thanks to its 5-3 win against Florida Gulf Coast University.

FGCU's season ended with a 41-17 record after winning two of four games, including Friday night's 10-7 win vs. Catawba, in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

Second-seeded FGCU was playing its second game after losing to top-seeded and top-ranked Tampa, 12-5, less than four hours prior. Third-seeded and third-ranked Catawba survived to play this with its 14-8 win against Lynn University an hour before the first pitch.

The Indians likely slept well in the wee hours of this morning, their fantasies of a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals in Montgomery, Ala., still brewing. Catawba (47-13) faces Tampa today at 1 p.m. Should it win that, the teams will play again at 5 to determine the South Region representative.

The Indians ripped reliever Matt Laliberte in the bottom of the fourth to break away. Clinging to a 3-2 lead, David Thomas started it with a double and was brought home by Matt Smith's sacrifice fly for 4-2. Big designated hitter Jimbo Davis belted Catawba's third homer over the center-field wall for 5-2.

FGCU made a run in the eighth, cutting to the final margin when Josh Upchurch's double scored Graig Smith, who had a two-out double. Mike Cleghorn singled, but Upchurch was tagged out by catcher Matt Smith.

The Eagles threatened in the bottom of the ninth as Shawn Griffin splatted one off reliever Matt Seabolt with two outs, then took second on an errant throw by third baseman Zach Evans. Evans was moved to the mound, and struck out pinch hitter Mike Matthews to end this.

FGCU had 12 hits. Catawba also belted 12, including seven extra-basers.

Freshman Alex Fairweather (10-2) got the win. Junior righty Jason Kiley (7-4) took the loss.

FGCU had its chances, three times loading the bases (once with no outs, twice with one out) but produced only two runs in those scenarios.

In fact, the Eagles almost opened in a big way with just such a setting. Upchurch and Cleghorn started the game with infield singles and Ian Manson drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Fairweather fanned Griffin before Geoff Rottmayer drilled a shot to right-center. The centerfielder, Thomas charged to his right, dove and just managed to snag the ball on the slide.

Catawba picked up its first run in the bottom of the first on a Matt Smith single that scored Thomas, who led off with a double to right field. The Indians followed with a leadoff second-inning solo homer by Aaron Rimer to right field and a towering leadoff third-inning solo shot to left by Jerry Sands for 3-0.

The Eagles finally got to Fairweather in the fourth as Upchurch's bases-loaded single scored Casey Coleman and Cleghorn's sacrifice fly brought in Patrick Garrido to close to 3-2. Jason Louwsma's ground out ended the threat.

GAME 1: FGCU lost its first South Region game against top-seeded and top-ranked host University of Tampa, 12-5, on a scalding Saturday afternoon.

Playing less than 12 hours after it beat No. 3 Catawba, 10-7, Thursday night, FGCU had four costly errors and managed just five hits off Ross Jackson (11-0) and Aaron Cook as Tampa (49-6) pounded 16 hits off Casey Coleman (3-1) and Troy Beall to advance to Sunday's championship round (if Tampa loses the first game, it would have to play again).

Spartans shortstop Roberto Mena led the assault, going 5-for-5 with a triple and two doubles and an RBI in front of 283 fans.

Tampa came in having outscored No. 6 Albany State and No. 4 Florida Southern 22-3 in regional play. The Spartans beat FGCU in two of three regular-season games at Swanson Stadium.

FGCU 000 101 030—5

UT 001 024 14x—12

FGCU — Coleman, Beall (6) and Smith. UT-Jackson, Cook (8) and Hopf. 2B — Upchurch, Manson (FGCU), Hopf, Mena (2), Cruz (UT). 3B-Mena (UT). HR — Jimenez (UT).

FGCU 000 200 010—3

CC 111 200 00x—5

FGCU — Kiley, Laliberte (3) and Smith. CC — Fairweather, Seabolt (5), Evans (9) and Smith. 2B — Smith, Upchurch (FGCU), Thomas (2), Sands, Lefco (CC). HR — Rimer, Sands, Davis (CC).