WINTER PARK, Fla. (January 31, 2015) - The
Rollins baseball team opened up the 2015 season with Peach Belt
Conference foe Young Harris and split the day. The Tars took the
first game of the doubleheader, 17-6, but were unable to make it
two with an 11-5 loss in the nightcap Saturday.
Game One--Rollins 17, Young Harris 6
Rollins senior Zach
Persky and Philip
Burket each had four hits and were a combined 8-for-10 in game
one as Burket added seven runs-batted-in, including a grand slam in
the first inning on Opening Day. Sophomore Peter
Nicoletto added two hits, three rbi's and three runs scored.
Senior transfer Blake
Hutton went two for three with a triple as the Tars managed six
extra base hits total. Junior pitcher Matt
Hendricks threw 5.2 innings allowing just four runs on five
hits, while striking out seven to earn his first win of the year.
Brett
Scafidi threw 2.1 innings allowing one run on two hits and Benny
Ely finished the game with 1.0 innings pitched, allowing one
run on two hits.
The Tars began the season on fire as Persky double to center
field. Christian
Coburn followed with a single to center and Nicoletto walked in
the first run of the year for Rollins. Burket's first plate
appearance this season turned out to be a grand slam as he drove
the ball over the left field wall giving Rollins the 5-0 early
lead.
In the second inning, Rollins began at the top of the order with
Persky driving a single to left field. Nicoletto grounded out
advancing Persky to third and Garmendia to second. Burket's singled
to passed the shortstop and drove in his fifth run in two innings
giving the Tars the 6-0 lead.
The Tars broke the game open in the fifth inning as Nicoletto
began the inning with a single to right field. Burket doubled to
center field driving in rbi number six of the day. Blake
Hutton followed suit with the Tars first triple of the year,
scoring Burket as the Tars led 8-0. Bryan
Perlmutter walked, Chris Corbett doubled to left center
bringing in a pair of Tars to give Rollins a 10-0 lead. Persky
singled to center field and Coburn was hit by a pitch loading the
bases. Carlos
Garmendia reached on a fielder's choice driving in another
Rollins run. Rollins totaled nine runs on seven hits in the
inning.
In the top of the sixth Young Harris finally got on the
scoreboard as Zach Wall hit a grand slam and ended Matt
Hendricks perfect game, cutting the Tars lead to 15-4. Rollins
scored twice in the bottom of the sixth as Persky singled again to
right field and Cam
Brown doubled down the left field line scoring Persky.
Nicoletto followed with a single as Brown scored his first run of
the year giving the Tars the 17-4 lead.
The Mountain Lions added one run in the top of the seventh and
one in the top of the ninth as Rollins won game one 17-6. The Tars
had 17 hits to Young Harris nine and Rollins committed one error to
the Mountain Lions one error.
Game Two- Young Harris 11, Rollins 5
Senior Bryan
Perlmutter went 4-for-4 driving in two runs while junior
transfer Carlos
Garmendia went 3-for-4, scoring three runs as the Tars fell in
game two 11-5. Burket added another pair of hits, going 6-for-8 on
the day with 8 runs batted in.
Junior transfer Matthew
Tulley got the start for the Tars in the second game and threw
1.2 innings, allowing six runs on one hit and four walks. Caleb
Jakes came in for relief and threw 1.1 innings, allowing three
runs (one earned) on three hits. Brandon
Burgess finished off the game throwing 4 innings and allowing
two runs on three hits while striking out six.
YHC tacked on a run in the top of the first inning, as Brett
Westmoreland homered giving the Mountain Lions their first lead of
the day, 1-0.
The Tars quickly answered in the bottom of the first as Peter
Nicoletto singled to center field driving in Carlos
Garmendia. YHC drove in five runs on two hits and two walks in
the top of the second to reclaim a 6-1 lead.
The Mountain Lions responded again in the third inning with
three runs, but Rollins answered in the bottom of the inning with
Garmendia doubling down the left field line and scoring off a
Burket single.
Rollins came up with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth
inning with three runs on five singles.
The Tars outhit Young Harris 13-7, but committed three errors in
game two and fell 11-5 in the twin-bill.
Rollins will conclude the series with Young Harris on Sunday,
Feb. 1 with first pitch set for 1 p.m. Fans can follow the action
live on the Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com.
NEXT UP FOR ROLLINS: The Tars will travel to
Pensacola, Florida and take on West Florida, Flagler and Albany
State February 6-8, 2015.
Follow Rollins Baseball on Social Media!
Facebook: Rollins
Sports
Twitter: @RollinsSports
#TARnation
Instagram: @rollinssports
