WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 2, 2007) ' Thanks
to a five-run explosion in the fourth inning, the Rollins baseball
team came away with an 8-4 victory over non-conference opponent
Palm Beach Atlantic in the team's season opener at Alfond Stadium
on Friday night.' Rollins starts the year with a record of 1-0, and
the Sailfish drop to 0-1 with the loss.
Seven different players registered hits for the Tars, and junior
leftfielder Mike Crane, junior first baseman Stefano Foggi, and
sophomore designated hitter Anthony Soto each had two.' Junior
centerfielder Corey Whiting and Foggi led the team with two RBI
each, and Foggi also scored two runs.' Senior right-hander David
Nathanson (1-0) pitched six and two thirds strong innings for the
win, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks with seven
strikeouts.' Sophomore reliever Michael Eppich pitched two and one
third innings to pick up the save, striking out three while giving
up one unearned run on one hit and one walk.
Leadoff hitter Chip Davis led the Sailfish, going 2-3 with a
double, walk, and one run scored.' James Gladding had a
bases-clearing double to drive in three PBA runs.' Rob Neigebauer
(0-1) gave up seven runs on eight hits and two walks on his way to
the loss.
The Tars first got on the board in the second inning; Crane
started it all with a leadoff single, and Soto followed with
another single, advancing Crane to third base.' A third single by
Foggi scored Crane for the first run of the day, but Soto was
thrown out in a rundown between third base and home plate.' After a
popup by sophomore catcher Jason Cutlip, freshman second baseman
Ryan Luker doubled home a run in his first collegiate at bat,
giving Rollins the 2-0 lead.
Rollins blew the game wide open with a five-spot in the fourth
inning.' Soto started the rally with a single to center field, and
he then proceeded to steal second base.' A double to right field by
Foggi scored Soto, and Cutlip brought Foggi home with a single to
left.' The Sailfish recorded two outs, but the Tars were not done,
as junior third baseman Gary Martoccio got on base with a
hit-by-pitch.' With two on, Whiting tripled into the left field
gap, scoring two more runs.' The fifth run of the inning was scored
on a dropped third strike in an at bat by senior right fielder Gene
Howard.
PBA made some noise in the sixth inning, loading the bases for
Gladding.' His bases loaded double brought in three runs, narrowing
the Rollins lead to four.' Nathanson got into trouble again in the
seventh inning, but Eppich relieved him and induced a groundout to
end the Sailfish scoring threat.' Senior shortstop Ryan McKenzie
shot one over the right field wall for a homerun in the bottom of
the eighth to add to the Rollins lead.' The final run of the game
was scored in the top of the ninth when two errors by junior third
baseman Kevin Schnacke led to an unearned run.
Martoccio left the game after the sixth inning when he pulled up
lame after flying out to right field.' The Sailfish also had one
player leave the game due to injury;'Davis'approached the wall
during McKenzie's homerun, and he collided with the wall and had to
leave the game.
Rollins will host PBA again on Saturday, February 3 for a
doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.' Fans can listen to all the
action live on the Tars Sports Network at www.RollinsSports.com.
