MIAMI SHORES, Fla.
(March 25, 2006) The Rollins College baseball team split a
double-header with the Barry University Buccaneers. The Tars
(18-13, 3-6) dropped a heart breaker in the first game. Rollins
held a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning only to
see it evaporate into a 7-5 Bucs win. In the second game the Tars
exacted some revenge on the Bucs winning the game 6-1. Mario
Lombardo went the distance for the Tars for his fourth win on the
season.
The Tars were led offensively in the
first game by junior shortstop Ryan McKenzie who went 2-4 on the
day with a run scored and a RBI double. Junior third baseman Gene
Howard went 2-4 with a run scored and a double. Freshman outfielder
Tyler Hartman went 1-4 with a run scored, and a RBI double. Senior
outfielder Rob Cloar went 1-3 with a RBI single.
Senior starting pitcher Eduardo Chile was
the tough luck loser once again. Barry got the lead-off hitter on
base in their first three innings, and scored in two of those
innings. Chile was troubled by control problems early on. The
senior gave up a run on a wild pitch and also hit two batters. But
he calmed down after the third and didn't give up another hit until
the eighth inning, which is when the game slipped away. Chile ended
up going seven plus innings giving up six earned runs on six hits
while striking out three.
The Tars kicked off the scoring with a
run in the top of the first. Tyler Hartman started the rally off
with a one out walk. Gene Howard kept the inning alive with a two
out single to send Hartman to third. Rob Cloar followed with a
clutch two out RBI single through the right side.
Barry responded in the bottom half of the
opening inning with a run of their own. The Bucs followed with
another run in the bottom of the second off of Chile. First baseman
Orestes Gonzalez led off the inning with a double and scored on a
slow rolling RBI single through the left side by catcher Nick
Corbeil.
The Tars took the lead in the top of the
sixth inning. Gene Howard led off with a double down the left field
line. Howard would score on a one out double to deep center field
by Ryan McKenzie. McKenzie would score on a two base error on a
slow roller off the bat of Ryan Maddern. The Tars would score again
on a balk by starter Ray Rhoads, and take a 4-2 lead. Rollins added
another insurance run in the top of the seventh on a RBI double to
deep right by Tyler Hartman which made the game 5-2.
But the Tars got into trouble in the
eighth. Chile gave up a lead-off single, and the Bucs followed it
up with a double to left that Anthony Soto lost in the sun. The
Bucs then got a two RBI single up the middle by Andrew Frezza which
chased out Chile after seven innings plus. The Bucs would add two
more on the inning, all charged to Chile, to take a 7-5 lead. The
Buccaneer bullpen closed the door from there and Barry took the
first game 7-5.
Senior outfielder Brent Magnuson led the
Tars offensively going 2-4 on the evening with two runs batted in
and a run scored. Junior third baseman Gene Howard went 2-3 with a
RBI and a run scored. Freshman outfielder Tyler Hartman went 2-4 on
the day with a run scored. And freshman outfielder Jesse More went
3-4 on the day with a RBI single. The Tars as a team smashed out 12
hits and plated six runs on the day.
Junior pitcher Mario Lombardo pitched
masterfully on the way to his team leading fourth win on the
season. Lombardo pitched his second complete game of the season,
narrowly missing his second shutout. Lombardo gave up only one run,
and that was in the bottom of the sixth. He finished with seven
innings logged giving up just one run on five hits.
The Tars kicked off the scoring once
again in game two. Rollins got a run in the top of the second.
Sophomore first baseman Steve Mannenbach led off the inning with a
walk. Mannenbach then stole second base and scored a few pitches
later on a single by senior outfielder Brent Magnuson. The Tars
followed up that effort with four runs in the top of the third.
Rollins loaded the bases with no one out. Steve Mannenbach knocked
in the first run of the inning with a sac fly. Magnuson, McKenzie
and More followed with a single and a RBI each to make the game 5-0
Tars. Rollins added another run in the top of the fourth on a RBI
single by Gene Howard to make it 6-0. Mario Lombardo would take
care of the rest as the Tars cruised to a 6-1 victory.
The Tars will return to action on
Tuesday, March 28 when they will welcome the Saint Leo Lions to
Alfond Stadium.
