WINTER PARK, Fla. (April 26, 2008) ' The
Rollins baseball team and No. 3 Tampa battled to a doubleheader
split on Senior Day at Alfond Stadium on Saturday, with Tampa
taking Game One 14-7 in 11 innings and the Tars coming back to win
Game Two 8-6.' Rollins finished the 2008 home schedule with an
overall record of 28-21-1 and 8-12 in Sunshine State Conference
play, while the first place Spartans are now 36-8-1, 15-6.
Rollins made a furious comeback in the late innings of Game One,
coming from behind to take a 7-4 lead in the seventh inning, but
the Spartans came back and tied the game 7-7 the following inning.'
With runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth,
Rollins had a chance to walk off with a win, but senior first
baseman Stefano Foggi lined into an unassisted double play to the
first baseman to send the game into extra innings.' After both
teams went scoreless in the 10th, the Spartans broke out for seven
runs in the 11th to run away with the 14-7 win.
Rollins pitchers combined to allow a season-high 11 walks in
Game One.' Freshman left-hander Matt White got the start, lasting
four and one third innings while allowing four runs, two earned, on
four hits and seven walks.' Junior right-hander Marty Cornish then
entered the game, allowing three runs, one earned, over the next
three and one third innings.' Sophomore right-hander Robbie Pagano
(1-2) relieved Cornish in the eighth and got out of a jam, but the
Tampa lineup finally got to Pagano in the 10th and handed him the
loss, scoring five runs before he was relieved by fellow sophomore
Chad Giannuzzi.
Senior center fielder Corey Whiting was a triple away from the
cycle in Game One, going 3-4 with three runs, one RBI, and two
walks.' Senior third baseman Gene Howard also delivered in Game
One, hitting 3-5 with one RBI.' Senior second baseman Gary
Martoccio was 0-2 but he brought in two of the Rollins runs on
sacrifice flies.
Tampa reliever Anthony Perez (3-1) pitched the final four
innings for the Spartans, allowing one hit and four walks while
keeping the Tars off the scoreboard.' Designated hitter Steven
Broschofsky (2-6, two doubles) and first baseman Nolan Brannon
(2-4, double) each drove in three runs for the Spartans in Game
One.
Both teams jumped ahead early in Game Two, as the score was 7-4
in favor of the Tars after three innings.' Whiting highlighted a
four-run first inning for the Tars with his second homerun of the
day and team-leading seventh of the season, a three-run shot to
right center field.' Sophomore left-hander Danny Clark (3-3) got
the start for Rollins, and he lasted four-plus innings in the win,
giving up six runs on eight hits and five walks.' Cornish came out
of the bullpen for his second appearance of the day, and he allowed
just two hits over the final three innings to earn his second save
of the year.
Senior left fielder Mike Crane (2-3, one run, one RBI) and
sophomore shortstop Ryan Luker (2-2, one run) each performed well
in Game Two, and junior catcher Eugene Martinez went 1-3 with two
runs and a solo homerun in the third.
Scott Chapman (7-5) started Game Two for Tampa and took the
loss, allowing eight Rollins runs, just three of which were earned,
through three and one third innings.' Brannon, Broschofsky, and
outfielders Paul Cruz and Junior Mejia each tallied two hits for
the Spartans.' Mejia scored two runs, and left fielder Ryan
Williams drove in two.
Before the first game of the doubleheader, the Rollins senior
class of 2008 was honored and thanked for their contributions to
the Tars baseball program.' This year's senior class includes
pitchers Bill Bradley and Mario Lombardo, infielders Foggi, Howard,
Martoccio, and Kevin Schnacke, and outfielders Crane and
Whiting.
Rollins will start the last week of the 2008 season with a road
game at NAIA opponent Embry-Riddle on Tuesday, April 29 at 7:00
p.m.' Fans can listen to all the action live on the Citizens Bank
of Florida Tars Sports Network at www.RollinsSports.tv.
Box Score (Game One)
Box Score (Game Two)
