WINTER PARK, Fla. -
The Rollins College Tars baseball team dropped an 11-10
heartbreaker to the Penn Quakers, Wednesday afternoon at Alfond
Stadium at the 2009 Baseball Week tournament.
Rollins (14-7) was led by Justin
Yount's 2-for-4 performance with a run scored and two RBIs.
Designated hitter Scott Chase and third baseman Ryan
Luker also added a pair of RBIs for the Tars.
Second baseman Josh Band tallied three hits and scored on three
occasions to lead Rollins in both categories. A native of Peabody,
Mass., Band is hitting .367 with 11 RBIs during his first season of
collegiate baseball.
Both starters were shaky as Steven
Gropler went 3.1 innings allowing eight hits and six runs in
his seventh appearance of the season. For the Quakers (4-4), Todd
Roth went 2.2 innings surrendering nine runs, seven earned, off
seven hits, despite picking up the no decision.
Michael Eppich relieved Gropler for Rollins, but
allowed three hits and two runs in a third of an inning. Alex
Venegas followed with success going 2.1 innings without letting
a batter on base. Freshman Taylor
Smith pitched the seventh and two-thirds of the eighth allowing
three runs from three hits to earn the loss. Robbie
Pagano closed out the eighth and allowed the base hit for the
go-ahead run.
For Penn, Trey Jennings (1-1) relieved Roth in the third and gave
up one run in the final 6.1 innings to garner his first victory of
the season.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first two innings, Rollins rattled
off nine runs in the third to take a seven-run lead. The Tars led
off the frame with their first four batters reaching. First
baseman John Avanzino and Band singled through the left
side, which allowed Yount to draw a walk to load the bases.
Ferguson ripped an RBI single between the Quaker's infielders
before a Bryan Bennett strike out.
Trailing 2-1, Luker singled to left scoring the runners from second
and third to take the 3-2 lead. After catcher Ben
Hewett was hit-by-a-pitch, Chase lined a single to center
scoring two more runs. Left fielder Jesse
More reached on a sacrifice fly error by the left fielder,
which poured in two more runs for the Tars. Yount capped the
inning during his second at bat in the frame with an RBI single to
center.
The Quakers responded with five runs in the fourth to cut the lead
to one at 9-8.
After back-to-back doubles from Band and Yount in the fifth,
Rollins built the lead back two runs.
In the seventh, the Quakers evened the score with a Will Gordon
two-run homer. Penn sealed the victory in the eight when a James
Mraz single to right field began the frame. A sacrifice bunt from
Adrian Thomas advanced the go-ahead run in scoring position at
second base. Mraz advanced to third on a ground out, but scored
on the ensuing at bat, a RBI single from Jeremy Maas.
Rollins returns to action for its second contest against
Georgetown, Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m.
