FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (March 1, 2013) - No. 8
Rollins traveled to southern Florida on Friday to open their
Sunshine State Conference Schedule at Nova Southeastern, eventually
defeating the Sharks 6-0.
The Tars (20-1, 1-0) were picked to finish second in the SSC in
the preseason while the Sharks (11-9, 0-1) were tabbed to finish
fifth.
NSU starter Jennie Von Doellen came out firing in front of her
home crowd, striking the side in the top of the first. The junior
retired Aimee Halpin (.415), Brittany Johnson (.444) and Kristie Hoeffer (.457) in order, three of the top
five hitters in the conference.
Tars starter Niki Fogle (9-0) then pitched out of a two on and
nobody out jam in the home half of the inning to keep the game
scoreless heading to the second.
It was then, with runners on first and third, that a Von Deollen
wild pitch allowed reigning National Player of the Week Veronica Alred to score from third to give Rollins
the 1-0 lead. Alred had led off the inning with a line drive single
up the middle.
The Tars would add another in the third, again on a Von Deollen
wild pitch, this time allowing Halpin to score from third. Halpin
reached earlier in the inning on a single to left center.
After Fogle retired the Sharks in order in the bottom of the
inning, Rollins sent eight batters to the plate in the fourth,
scoring four runs on three hits and two NSU errors to take a 6-0
lead. Jessica Gipson, Hilary Brown and Johnson each recorded RBI's in the
Tars' big fourth inning, with Gipson and Johnson each doubling to
drive in a run.
Fogle again halted a Sharks threat in the fourth but did not
survive the fifth, allowing a pair a walks to put runners on first
and second with one out before she was relieved by junior Stephanie Sullivan.
Sullivan pitched out of the jam and cruised the rest of the way,
not allowing a single base runner in her 2.2 innings of work.
Fogle was credited with the win to improve to a team best 9-0,
pitching 4.1 innings, allowing no runs while scattering four hits.
The freshman also struck out four.
The Tars will finish the three game series with NSU with a
double header on Saturday. Game one is set to start at 1 p.m. Fans
can follow along live with all the action on the Tars Sports
Network on RollinsSports.com.
Notes: With a single in the top of the seventh, junior Kristie Hoeffer extended her hit steak to 18 games, a
new team record. She passes former Rollins standout Christine Roser
who previously held the team record of 17 straight games with a
hit, coming in a span of March 3-21, 2008.
