WINTER PARK, Fla. -
Senior centerfielder Taylor Ferguson recorded his
24th and 25th doubles to set the Rollins baseball single-season
record as the Tars captured a 6-3 victory over the visiting Palm
Beach Atlantic Sailfish, 6-3, Friday evening at Alfond Stadium in
nonconference action.
Rollins kept its postseason hopes alive with the win and improve
their overall record to 33-17, while the Sailfish drop to 17-22.
The Tars also claimed their 22nd in-region victory.
Ferguson set the record in the fourth when he blasted a Logan
Thomas (4-6) 0-2 pitch to the gap in left center. Shortstop Justin
Yount led off the inning with a single up the middle and stole
second to score on the record setting double.
The Charlton, Mass., finished with three hits, tying Yount for a
game-best. Ferguson did lead the game in RBIs with two, while
Yount was the game-high in runs scored with two. The centerfielder
increased his batting average to .401, the first time he's eclipsed
the .400 plateau since March 19.
Yount finished the game with two stolen bases and now has 21, which
leads the conference.
Senior Scott Chase registered his
eighth home run of the year when he launched an Alejandro De Moya
pitch to right center to add an insurance run in the eighth.
Starting pitcher Stephen Hiscock (6-2)
collected another quality start after pitching eight innings and
allowing three runs. The Naugatuck, Conn., native registered seven
punchouts and had a two-hitter going into the eighth inning.
Reliever Taylor Smith (S:2) was
terrific out of the bullpen as he tossed a perfect ninth to pick up
his second career save.
The Tars and Sailfish were scoreless through three innings before
Rollins jumped on the scoreboard in the fourth with three runs.
Ferguson's RBI-double sparked the onslaught as a Tony
Brunetti sacrifice fly and an error by PBA's catcher rounded
out the Tars' scoring in the frame.
Leading 3-0, a two-run fifth increased the lead to 5-0. Joey
Manning began the inning with a single up the middle before he
advanced to second on a Josh Band sacrifice bunt,
his 11th of the season. Yount's RBI-single ensued to before
Ferguson hit a single through the right side to score Yount to cap
the scoring.
The Sailfish cut into the Tars' lead in the eighth with three runs
to trim the deficit to two. Three timely base hits accounted for
the three runs for PBA, but that was as close as the Sailfish would
get.
The three game nonconference series wraps-up with a doubleheader,
Saturday, May 1 at 1 p.m.
