WINTER PARK, Fla. – Senior Bryan
Bennett laced a walk-off single to left center scoring Jesse
More to seal the Rollins' 7-6 victory over Nova Southeastern in
baseball action, Friday evening at Alfond Stadium.
In the bottom of the 10th with the game tied at six, Rollins
(21-13, 4-6 Sunshine State Conference) led off with a Taylor
Ferguson walk. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt by More,
which resulted in a fielder's choice, the Tars looked to Bennett to
regain its momentum. More advanced to second on a wild pitch, but
it was Bennett's blast in the gap that secured the Friday night
win.
Rollins out-hit the Sharks (26-9, 3-7SSC) 18-11 as both teams
committed three errors.
Leading the Tars offensively was Bennett who finished with a
team-best three RBIs and a 4-for-6 batting performance. Bennett
increased his season average to .378 and now has 26 RBIs during his
senior campaign.
More followed with three hits and two runs scored, including the
game-winner. The Maitland, Fla., native also scored in the seventh
inning. Leadoff hitter Taylor
Ferguson, designated hitter Eugene
Martinez, catcher Ben
Hewett and shortstop Justin
Yount collected two hits apiece for Rollins.
Relief pitcher Chad
Giannuzzi (1-0) picked up the victory after a spectacular night
on the mound. Ginnuzzi entered in the ninth with Rollins trailing
by one and went the final two innings without a single blemish. He
allowed no hits, runs or walks in the appearance.
Starter Tim
Griffin went six innings giving up five hits while surrendering
three runs, two earned. He struck out five despite four walks.
Alex
Venegas, Robbie
Pagano and Matt
White made relief appearances for Rollins.
For Nova, Riaan Furstenburg tallied the game-high four RBIs with a
3-for-5 performance at the plate. He also registered two doubles
for the Sharks. Left fielder J.D. Martinez, conference leader with
a .485 batting average, was held to just one hit on three attempts,
but reached twice on walks.
Starter Michael Fiers received the no decision in the seven
inning-effort with 15 hits and five runs. He didn't allow a walk
and fanned six Tar batters. Sean Albury (0-2) suffered the loss
going 1.2 innings allowing the final two runs.
Rollins took the early 1-0 lead in the third inning after it led
off with three-straight singles from Ferguson, More and Bennett,
respectively. Nova answered with the tying run in the fourth,
before adding a pair of runs in the fifth.
Trailing 3-1, the Tars cut the deficit to one in the sixth. With
two outs, first baseman John
Avanzino began the two-out rally when he drilled a single up
the middle, nearly missing Fiers. After back-to-back infield
singles, culminated by pinch hitter Scott
Chase's RBI single to short scoring Avanzino, the Tars were
down 3-2.
The teams exchanged two runs each in the seventh. Frustenburg
highlighted the Shark's half of the inning with a two-run double
down the left field line. The Tars answered when a Ryan
Luker double to right field placed runners in scoring
position. With More on third, who reached on a leadoff single, and
Luker on second, Hewett drilled the 2-1 pitch to right to trim the
Shark's lead to 5-4.
In the eighth, the squads added a run apiece to keep the score
within one. After Michael
Garczynski reached on a error and was moved over on a single
and a sacrifice bunt, a Bennett groundout to second base scored
Garczynski from third.
In the ninth, Nova was held scoreless and possessed a 6-5 lead
heading into the bottom half of the inning. The Tars evened the
game after capitalizing on a passed ball. Pinch runner Max
Pavy out-maneuvered the defense on an earlier play as he was
appeared to be caught in a rundown, but after an evasive move he
slid into third safely on a Stephen
Hiscock fielder's choice. Pavy scored on the ensuing play, a
passed ball charged to Nova's catcher, Nate Goldstein.
Tied at six, Rollins showcased its defense to keep the bases
empty. Dale Alberto started the frame with a groundball to
second. Ryan
Luker, who moved to second, made the backhand snag and leaped,
throwing away from his body in time at first base to record the
first out of the inning. A strike out and fly out was all that was
left before the Tars solidified the victory in the 10th.
The Tars and Sharks return to Alfond Stadium to conclude its
three-game series, Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m.
