Tars Advance with Shutout Victory

VALDOSTA, Ga. (May 21, 2021) – Rollins advanced to the night cap on the third day of action at the NCAA South Regional Tournament.  The Tars upended top-seeded Auburn-Montgomery, to move within one win of the championship round.
 
The Tars stayed alive with an elimination round victory over Mississippi College last time out, while the Warhawks fell to West Florida to drop into a survival matchup with the Tars.  Rollins tallied three hits on the contest, but were able to capitalize on a trio of Auburn-Montgomery errors to manufacture three runs.  Ali Shenefield tossed another gem, allowing only five scattered hits and striking out eight against the region's top-seed, and the third ranked team in the nation.
 
Shenefield escaped an early jam in the first when the Warhawks put a runner on third with only one out.  The Brooksville native recorded the next two outs, including her first strikeout, to hold the game scoreless.
 
Rollins would put the first run on the board in the second.  Raiven Bryant started the inning with a single and eventually came home on a Tyler Jo Colby groundout.  The next frame Chelsea Peace continued her offensive tear in the tournament with an RBI double.  The hit scored Ashley Troutman, as the Tars doubled their advantage to 2-0 in the third inning.  Finally, in the fourth frame, Rollins capitalized on a pair Warhawk errors to add a final insurance run.  Brycyn Smith, who was pinch running for Colby, rounded the bases for the score.
 
The three scores were more than enough for Shenefield.  The greatest Warhawk threat came in the sixth inning.  Auburn-Montgomery used two singles to get runners on first and second with one out.  Shenefield remained composed, and induced back-to-back fly outs to escape the jam.  The Tars' hurler then capped the contest with a one, two, three seventh, ending the game with her eighth strikeout.
 
The Tars have a quick turn around.  Rollins faces second-seeded, and hosts, Valdosta State at 6:45.  The winner will advance to the South Region Championship, tomorrow, Saturday, May 22 at 1 p.m. and will have to beat West Florida twice to win the regional.  
 
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