WINTER PARK, Fla. -
The Rollins baseball team finished with five hitters registering
multiple hits as they hung on to a 9-6 home victory over the
Bentley Falcons in the third game of the four-game series, Monday
evening at Alfond Stadium.
"It was another solid pitching performance," Head Coach Jon
Sjogren said. "(Pitching) Coach (Jonathan) Krot's development
of our pitchers has been outstanding during his tenure at Rollins.
We've had six quality starts in our seven games this season and our
bullpen has been solid."
The Tars (4-3) were led by Tony
Brunetti who finished with a 2-for-3 performance. The
Canfield, Ohio, native tallied a pair of RBIs, two runs scored and
a homerun. Taylor Ferguson finished
2-for-5 with a solo home run, while Ryan Luker, Joey Manning and Josh
Band rounded out the multi-hit batters.
Senior catcher Ben Hewett paved the way
with a team-best three RBIs.
"We had good at-bats in this game and the single from Ben
Hewett with the bases loaded coupled with the error in left
gave us the cushion we needed to win the game."
For the Falcons (1-2), James Roche was the bright spot with a pair
of home runs to finish with a game-high four RBIs. Charlie
Pagliarulo recorded the other RBI for Bentley.
Tars' starting pitcher Ben
Blanton (1-1) recording his first win of the season in a
seven-inning effort. A native of Alpharetta, Ga., Blanton
surrendered six runs, five earned, on five hits and also recorded
two strike outs in his second appearance of 2010.
Freshman Brad
Renner closed out the final two innings for Rollins in fine
form. Renner allowed two hits to record his first collegiate
save. It was the third appearance of the season for the Land
O'Lakes freshman.
"Brad
Renner had good velocity and good command of the strike zone,
which was necessary with a very good hitting Bentley team, Sjogren
added."
Matt Boudrow (0-1) received the loss for Bentley after tossing five
innings and giving up 11 hits and nine runs, eight earned, to the
Tars. JP Ashline, Jeff Croteau and Matt Sherman combined to pitch
the final three shutout innings for the Falcons.
After surrendering a two-run jack from Roche in the top of the
first, Rollins countered in their half of the inning with a pair of
runs of its own. After a Ferguson one-out double to right center
field, Brunetti registered his first homer of the year with a blast
over the scoreboard in right.
Tied at two, Rollins took the lead for good in the third with a
solo shot from Ferguson. In the fourth, Hewett and Justin
Yount recorded an RBI each to increase the lead to the 5-2.
Rollins tacked on four runs in the fifth to secure the win.
Bently made things interesting in the sixth with three runs and cut
the deficit to three when they added another run in the seventh,
but Renner quickly quieted the Bentley at-bats in the eighth and
ninth.
The Tars now gain control of the 2010 series, 2-1 with game four
slated for a 6 p.m. start, Tuesday, Feb. 16.
