WINTER PARK, Fla. -
The Rollins baseball team have their eyes set on post-season
play after a doubleheader sweep over the seventh-ranked Florida
Southern Moccasins on senior day in Sunshine State Conference
action.
In first game of the day, Rollins defeated the Mocs 10-3 before a
2-1 victory in the finale. With the wins, Rollins improves to
37-17, the most wins since the 2005 season, which saw the Tars
reach the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. The Tars also
improve their conference record to 15-8 and guarantee at least a
tie for second place.
The Mocs drop to 14-9 in the conference and 39-13 overall.
In game one of the doubleheader, the long ball proved to be the
answer for the Tars' offense. Leadoff man Justin Yount got
Rollins on the scoreboard when he drilled a Max Russell (10-2)
pitched off the scoreboard in right.
Both teams were held scoreless in the following two innings before
Southern took the lead in the top of the fourth with a two-run
frame.
The Mocs lead was short lived as the Tars responded with a
three-run fourth. A RBI-single from Ben Hewett tied the game at
two, before a two-run monster home run from the designated hitter
Scott Chase.
Rollins added two more runs from right fielder Joey
Manning's two-run blast in the seventh. After allowing another
run in the top of the eighth, the Tars secured the victory in their
half of the eighth with a four-run frame. Centerfielder Taylor
Ferguson began the inning with a solo shot to bring the home
run total to four. A Kevin Mager RBI-double and
a two-run double from Manning capped the Tars scoring.
Starter William
Krasne (3-0) gave the Tars a quality start on the mound after
going six innings as he surrendered just five hits and two runs.
Krasne continued to fight his way out of innings as he forced
Florida Southern to leave five runners on base in the first two
innings. The Mocs finished with 13 runners left on base, while the
Tars stranded one.
The bullpen was also spectacular for Rollins as Taylor
Smith tossed an effective inning plus. He allowed one run and
a hit in the appearance. Southpaw Danny Clark pitched a third
of an inning before Chad Giannuzzi (S:1)
finished the final two innings. The Windsor, Conn., picked up his
first save of the season in the effort.
In game two, the conference leader in ERA, Tim Griffin (11-2), was
again lights out for Rollins. In a classic pitcher's duel between
Griffin and the Mocs Gus Schlosser, neither team wanted to
surrender the win. Griffin got the better end when he tossed eight
innings and allowed five hits, giving up just one run and lowered
his ERA to 2.34.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native has pitched five complete-games in
his last six starts and is a winner of seven of his last eight
appearances.
Schlosser earned the no decision after nearly going the distance,
pitching 6.2 innings and giving up four hits and one run. The
conference leader in saves, Daniel Tillman (1-1), pitched one full
inning but allowed the game-winning run to suffer the loss.
Tied at one in the ninth, Josh Band drilled a single
up the middle. After a failed bunt attempt and strikeout, the
Tars' RBI leader Tony
Brunetti laced a two-out shot down the left field line, which
was just out of the reach of the outfielder Tony Mitchel to allow
Band to score the game-winning run.
Rollins got on the board in the fourth with a Mager sacrifice fly.
The Mocs lone run occurred in the sixth on a Wade Kirkland solo
home run.
The Tars will go for the sweep against Florida Southern, Saturday,
May 7 at 1 p.m.
