GULF SHORES, Ala. (February 5, 2023) - A big third inning plus a clutch save earned Rollins their third win of the young 2023 season, defeating West Alabama 8-6 on Sunday morning. The Tars finished their trip to the Gulf with a perfect 3-0 record.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Tars put together a two-out rally to blow the game open. A pair of singles from
Ashley Troutman and
Grace Germer, plus a walk from
Claire Long, loaded the bases for
Ashley Worrell. The All-American came through with a grand slam to left field, giving herself a 4-0 lead. Rollins was not done yet.
Kaeli Zahradnik singled after Worrell, and promptly stole second. In the next at bat,
Taylor Waters left the yard with her first dinger of the year to make the score 6-0.
The score would extend to 7-0 in the fourth when Germer drove in Troutman on an RBI single.
Worrell cruised through five innings in the circle, but then ran into trouble in the top of the sixth. The first three batters reached base on two walks and an error, prompting a pitching change. Unfortunately, the new arm did not help prevent any damage. The Tigers struck for six runs of their own thanks to a pair of singles, a pair of walks, and a pair of hit batsmen. By the time Rollins escaped the inning, they were looking at a 7-6 ballgame.
The Tars would get an insurance run back in the bottom half when Troutman reached on a two-out triple and was brought home on a Germer double. With a little more room to breathe,
Emily MacMullen was able to retire the side in the seventh to give Rollins their thrid win of the year, 8-6.
Worrell earned the win with five innings of two-hit ball. She allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out five. On offense, she reached base three times and drove in four. Troutman collected three hits and six total bases, plus a steal. Germer also had three hits for the Tars as well as two runs batted in.
Next up for the Tars is the Florida Tech Classic, held at Soldiers Creek Park in Orlando next weekend. Rollins will face West Florida, Auburn Montgomery, and Wingate University (twice). The action begins on Saturday February 11.
