TAMPA, Fla. -
Four-year letterwinner Chad Giannuzzi made his first career
start against the Florida Southern Moccasins in a NCAA Division II
South Region Tournament game and made it a memorable one with a 6-0
victory, Sunday.
Giannuzzi (2-0) tossed an outstanding seven innings to keep the
Mocs scoreless and to eliminate them from the tournament. Florida
Southern ends their season at 41-16, while Rollins remains in the
tournament with a 41-8 record and will take on Southern Arkansas at
3:30 p.m., Sunday.
A senior from Windsor Locks, Conn., Giannuzzi made his first career
start, which turned out to be his best performance of his career.
He finished his stat line with seven innings and allowed five hits
and just one walk to compliment his four strikeouts.
Giannuzzi retired 13 consecutive batters that spanned from the
third into the seventh and got out of trouble in the seventh when
Zach Maggard walked before Braxton Chisholm singled. Second
baseman Drew Morgan had a chance to break the scoreless streak, but
Giannuzzi induced Morgan to fly out to left to end the frame.
Senior centerfielder and SSC First Team honoree Taylor Ferguson
started the scoring for Rollins in the first. The Charlton, Mass.,
native crushed his team-leading 14th home run to left field off
Tucker Pryor (6-2).
The Tars broke open the lead in the fifth with a three run frame.
Designated hitter Scott Chase opened the inning with a single to
left and advanced to second on a Joey Manning single.
With runners on first and second, Josh Band hit into a fielder's
choice, before shortstop Justin Yount continued the inning when he
dropped in a single to right. Ferguson earned his second RBI of
the game with a sac-fly. A wild pitch ensued to score Band before
Kevin Mager reached first on a Wade Kirkland error at short to
score Yount and increase the Tars' lead to 4-0.
In the eighth it was Chase who gave Rollins two insurance runs when
he blasted a Ryan Wolfe two-out pitch to right field after Ben
Hewett began the inning with a walk. Chase extended his hitting
streak to 18 games and continues his impressive tournament run as
he improves 13-for-16 with two home runs and a pair of doubles with
six RBIs.
Rollins' 41 wins ties the second best mark in school history. The
record was set in 2004 with 48, while in 2002 the Tars captured 41
victories. The Tars also defeat Florida Southern for the fourth
time this year in five games.
Game Notes: Prior to the game, Rollins catcher
Ryan Harvey squared off against Florida Southern's starting pitcher
Max Russell in a fencing dual…Harvey made the first attack,
but a Russel parry and counter attack won round one…Harvey
claimed the second and third round with magnificent footwork and
poetic attack…Mocs' Daniel Tillman rode to the rescue to
joust Harvey to end the combat…to witness the footage, click
on the link,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr57Cb66T6w&feature=player_embedded
courtesy of the University of Tampa.
