LAKELAND, Fla. (April 7, 2017) -
Rollins blasted five home runs and handed 10th-ranked Florida
Southern an 11-9 loss on Friday night in Lakeland. The Tars ended
the Mocs 17-game win streak and picked up a signature win in the
Sunshine State Conference schedule.
The game opened a three-game weekend series between the Tars and
the Mocs. They will meet at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 for a
doubleheader.
Brian
Brooker led Rollins, (19-13, 4-6 SSC) hitting 3-5 with a home
run, a double, and a RBI. Peter
Nicoletto continued right where he left off last weekend, going
2-4 on the night with a pair of homers and five RBI's. Nick
Breen and Christopher
Corbett also hit one home run each on the evening, and both
drove in two runs.
Austin Mauer and Mitch Reeves paced FSC (25-7, 6-4 SSC)
offensively. Both went 2-5 at the plate, Mauer hit a home run, a
double, and knocked in two runs. Reeves hit a home run as well,
good for a RBI on the night.
AJ
Chacon started on the mound for the Tars, pitching 4.2 innings,
giving up six hits and nine runs, seven were earned. Chacon also
had eight strikeouts. Caleb
Jakes picked up the win in relief, his fourth win of the year.
Joey
Vecchione closed off the win and earned his seventh save of the
season.
Logan Browning got the nod for the start against the Tars line-up.
He pitched 4.1 innings, and gave up eight hits, as well as eight
runs. All eight runs were earned, Browning also dished out four
strikeouts. Mitch McCarthy picked up his first loss of the season
for the Mocs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• The Tars wasted no time getting on the board behind a pair
of solo home runs from Nick
Breen and Brian
Brooker.
• Another home run for the Tars in the top of the 2nd, as
Nicoletto hit a three shot over the right field fence giving them a
5-0 lead over the Mocs.
• The Mocs wouldn't go quietly as they had a monster 2nd
inning, putting up five runs and tying the score, 5-5
• Rollins would fall behind in the bottom of the third, but
scored two runs of their own in the top of the fourth behind a
Breen single, which brought home Billy
Lamm, and Nicoletto made it to third base. Nicoletto would then
score on a wild pitch.
• A Nicoletto two run home run in the top of the sixth gave
the Tars a slight lead, 10-9
• The Tars put up one more run in the top of the ninth to
cushion their lead over the Mocs, as Corbett doubled to left field
and brought Grant
Ashline home for an 11-9 advantage.
NOTES:
• Florida Southern still leads all time series vs. Rollins,
146-78
• Rollins improves to 3-3 on the road this season.
• The Tars hit a combined five home runs on the night
• Both teams committed only one error on the night
• Peter
Nicoletto remains tied atop the Tars all-time triples list with
18. After the big night against FSC, he is sixth in the league in
home runs (9) and seventh in RBI's (34).
NEXT:
The Tars and the Mocs will meet again to play a double header on
Saturday, April 8 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. The Fans can follow all the
action live on the Geico Tars Sports Network at
RollinsSports.com.
