WINTER PARK, Fla. - After scoring five runs in
the eighth inning, the Rollins baseball team squeaked out an 8-7
victory against Division I foe Maine, Saturday evening at Alfond
Stadium during the 62nd Annual Rollins College Baseball Week.
The Tars (16-7) regained the lead in the eighth for good in the
five-run eighth inning. Trailing 4-3 to the Bears (7-7), Rollins
senior center fielder Taylor Ferguson culminated
the eighth with a three-run home run blast to right.
Leading 8-3 in the bottom of the ninth, the Bears made it
interesting, tacking on three runs in the frame. Maine's Joey
Martin hit a one-out single to start the rally. After an Ian
Leisenheimer walk, Taylor Lewis drove in a run with an RBI double
down the left field line to place the tying run on second.
With runners on second and third, George Tager singled through the
right side, which scored Lewis, but a throw from right fielder Joey
Manning was on target as catcher Ben Hewett blocked the plate
and hung onto the ball after a collision with pinch runner Matt
Howard.
With two outs, reliever Marc Hewett (S:2) closed out
the game with a strike out to record the save.
Starter Stephen Hiscock gave another
solid performance after tossing 6.2 innings and allowed six hits
and four runs to earn the no decision. He also struck out eight to
increase his season mark to 40, a team-high.
"Stephen (Hiscock) was real good today and was able to pitch
backwards and had good command of his off-speed pitches," head
coach Jon Sjogren said. "Marc
(Hewett) got the huge strike out we needed to secure to the
win."
Robbie Pagano (1-0) earned
the win in the 1.1 inning appearance and surrendered three hits and
no runs.
Ferguson led the way with the bats after a 2-for-4 performance
with a walk, a double and three RBIs. Ferguson remains above .400
on the season with a .408 average and now has 13 doubles.
Scott Chose and Justin Yount followed with
two hits each, while Chase finished with two RBIs. Ben
Hewett was the team-high in runs scored with two and recorded
his second home run of the season, a solo shot in the third to get
Rollins on the board.
Left fielder Tony
Brunetti continued his hitting streak after going 1-for-5 and
has now collected a base hit in 20-straight games.
"Offensively, we left too many men in scoring position until
Ferguson's home run in the eighth, but getting the win was big,"
Sjogren added.
Maine's A.J. Bazdanes (1-2) suffered the loss in two innings of
action and allowed two hits and five runs, all unearned. Starter
Matt Jeb earned the no decision despite pitching six innings and
allowing six hits and three runs.
Joey Martin led the way for the Bears with three hits, while Tyler
Patzalek finished with two.
Maine wraps up their portion of the 62nd Annual Rollins College
Baseball Week with a 4-2 record, while the Tars are 2-2 in the
tournament with two more games on Sunday.
Rollins continues action, Sunday, March 14 at 11 a.m. against Penn
and concludes the tournament at 2:30 p.m. against Georgetown.
