WINTER PARK, Fla. An eighth inning two-run home
run by senior Bryan Bennett culminated a Tars' thrilling 10-7
victory over top-ranked Barry, Friday evening at the Alfond
Stadium.
Leading 8-7 in the eighth, Ben
Hewett battled for a two-out walk, which allowed Bryan
Bennett to crush his sixth home run of the season toward right
field to add a pair of insurance runs for Rollins (26-23,
9-13).
Junior starter Marc Hewett (5-2) hung onto the win in his 6.1
innings of work. The Framingham, Mass., native, limited the
conference's best batting average team to just five hits and five
runs with only one earned. Hewett showed off his command with nine
strikeouts and only two walks. He holds a 3.31 ERA and has allowed
three earned runs in his last two outings.
Fellow junior Robbie Pagano came in and surrendered two hits
and two runs in the seventh frame, one earned, before shutting down
the Buccaneers in the final two innings without allowing a hit.
The nation's leader in wins, Charley Short, (11-2) suffered his
second loss of the season as he went three innings giving up seven
hits and six runs. The Buccaneers (43-8, 17-5) used three other
pitchers to close out the final five innings.
Offensively, four batters recorded multiple hits as Ben
Hewett paved the way with three hits and three runs scored.
The Framingham, Mass., and brother of Marc, Hewett finished with an
RBI to add to his season total of 25. He also tallied a pair of
doubles.
Bennett, left fielder Scott Chase and shortstop Justin
Yount added two hits apiece to guide the Tars. Yount registered
a team-high, three RBIs, while Bennett added two.
Rollins finished with six of its 12 hits with multi-base hits, four
doubles, a triple and the Bennett homer.
The Tars scorched the bats in the first three innings take an early
6-0 lead. In the first, Rollins scored its first run after an
error by the Buccaneers' pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt.
Leading 1-0, the Tars added two runs in the second capitalizing on
another Barry miscue, this time on the catcher, Chris Leon. More
led off the second with a single and stole second before advancing
to third on a wild pitch. Yount walked and stole second, but the
errant throw by Leon scored More. After moving to third on a
passed ball, Yount, scored on a Josh
Band sacrifice fly.
Three runs in the third capped off by a Yount two-RBI triple
highlighted the third. Hewett opened the inning with a double in
the gap to right center and scored on a Chase RBI-single. After a
Eugene Martinez single, Yount blasted a line
drive in the gap in left center that rolled to the wall scoring
Chase and Martinez.
In the fifth and sixth innings, Rollins added a run in both frames
to take a commanding 8-0 lead.
It would be short lived as the Buccaneers stormed back scoring
seven runs in the seventh. Capitalizing on three Tars' errors,
Barry used three hits to score the seven runs.
Rollins defense and pitching shutdown Barry in the eighth and ninth
to secure the victory.
Rollins avenged an earlier season loss to Barry when it fell in
a non-conference mid-week game, 16-0. The Tars' victory over the
top-ranked Buccaneers rivals their 4-1 win over the 16th-ranked
Ohio State Buckeyes, another opponent who fell victim to Marc
Hewett.
The win also marks the highest ranked opponent the Tars' have
defeated during the Jon Sjogren era. Prior to the win Friday
night, the previous highest ranked opponent Rollins defeated
occurred in the second game of a doubleheader against No. 3 Tampa
last year.
Rollins and the Buccaneers conclude its three-game series with a
doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. in the Tars' home finale. Senior
Day recognition will begin at 12:45 p.m.
