WINTER PARK, Fla. (March 17, 2009) – Taylor
Ferguson went 4-4 with three RBI and the game winning hit as
Rollins scored four runs in the final two innings to take a 12-11
win over Bridgeport Tuesday night.
Rollins improves to 17-9 on the season while Bridgeport falls to
0-1.
Marty
Cornish threw six solid innings in relief to pick up the
victory, scattering three hits and allowing one run with two talks
and two strikeouts. Andrew
Loynaz got the start for Rollins, allowing three hits and three
runs in two innings of work.
Ferguson tallied a single, double and home run in the game and
also scored three runs. His final hit was a walk off single with
the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Ryan
Luker also had a big night, going 1-4 with two RBI, including a
homer to tie the score in the eighth. Eugene
Martinez batted 2-4 with three RBI on first inning dinger.
Bobby Swann took the loss for the Purple Knights, throwing the
final third of an inning and allowing three hits and the decisive
final run. Lead-off man Gaetano Giunta went 3-5 with three runs
scored and an RBI while Luke Abraham hit 3-4 with three RBI for UB.
Riley Shuckerow started the game for Bridgeport, throwing six
innings and allowing eight runs on seven hits.
Bridgeport scored two in the top of the first, but Rollins
responded with three, all coming off Martinez's left center bomb,
to take a 3-2 lead. Matti Emery led off the Knights half of the
second with a homer to tie the score at three. The Tars took
advantage of two miscues in their half of the second and scored on
a sac fly from Josh
Band and Ferguson double to go up 5-3.
The wheels fell off for Rollins in the third, allowing seven
runs to drop into a 10-5 hole. The Knights scored again in the
fifth to make it 11-5 before Ferguson walked, stole second,
advanced to third on a Bryan
Bennett fly out and scored on a wild pitch to make the count
11-6. Two more runs came in the sixth for the Tars as a throwing
error by the UB first baseman allowed Justin
Yount and Band to cross the plate and pull the Tars to within
three, 11-8.
In the Tars eighth, Ferguson belted a one-out homer to pull
Rollins to within two and was followed by a Bennett single and
Luker home run to left to knot the score at 11.
John
Avanzino led off the Rollins ninth with a single and was
replaced on the paths by Ryan
Maddern. Ryan
Harvey laid down a sac bunt for the first out and Band was
given a free pass to put two on with one down. Yount hit a single
through the left side to load the bases and Ferguson supplied the
game winner with a single to right center.
Rollins will get back into Sunshine State Conference play on
Friday, Mar. 20 when they will open up a three game set at Florida
Southern. First pitch for game one is slated for 7 p.m. with
Saturday's double header scheduled for 1 p.m. Fans can catch all
the action live on the Citizens Bank of Florida Tars Sports Network
at RollinsSports.com.
