WINTER PARK, Fla. -
Left fielder Tony Brunetti hit a
game-high four hits with four RBIs, but it couldn't match the
offensive output from the Maine Black Bears as the Rollins College
baseball team dropped an 11-8 decision at the 62nd Annual Rollins
College Baseball Week.
The Tars sported their pink uniforms for the Baseball For A Cure
event, which took place during all three games played at Alfond
Stadium with all the proceeds being donated to breast cancer
research.
A native of Canfiled, Ohio, Brunetti continued his hitting streak
to 18 games after the impressive performance at the plate. His
four RBIs increase his team-best mark to 29 and raise his batting
average to .375 for the Tars (14-7).
Maine (6-6) was led by left fielder Ian Leisenheimer and his
2-for-5 performance with three RBIs. Leisnheimer hit his third
homer of the season, a three-run shot in the third, which put the
Bears up for good.
Adding to the Rollins offense was Joey
Manning who was 3-for-4 with three singles and an RBI. Third
baseman Ryan Luker tallied one hit
in the contest, but made it count with a three-run blast in the
fifth.
The Tars trailed the Bears 9-5 before Luker drilled a Maine's Barry
Keiffer's 1-1 pitch over the wall in left center to pull Rollins
within one.
The Bears added an insurance run in the seventh and the ninth to
secure the three-run victory.
The Tars senior center fielder Taylor Ferguson was the only
Rollins hitter to record multiple hits as he finished with two and
continues to lead the team with 14 multi-hit games. He also owns
the Tars' top spot in batting average with a .404 mark.
Senior southpaw Danny Clark received the
loss in the contest in the three-inning effort. The Altamonte
Springs, native allowed eight hits and eight runs and struck out
three. Cori
Warren tossed the next 4.1 innings and allowed two runs, one
earned and tallied six strikeouts. Taylor Smith finished the
remaining 1.2 innings and surrendered one hit and one run.
For Maine, Keith Bilodeau earned the no decision in the four
innings he pitched, while Barry Keiffer (1-1) snatched the win in
3.1 innings of work with a walk as his only blemish. Justin Latta
completed the game and allowed two ninth-inning hits.
The Tars, 0-2 in tournament, will play Penn (0-3 in Baseball Week),
Wednesday, March 10 at noon.
