MELBOURNE, Fla. (March 19, 2023) - The rubber match between Rollins and Florida Tech needed extra innings in a hard-fought matchup that saw the Tars claim the win, 5-4. Rollins now stands at 17-7 on the year with a 7-2 record in SSC play.
The Tars got off to quick start with three runs in the first.
Joey Rubin walked to lead off, and was brought in on a
Jeslyn Whitehead double. Two batters later,
Cameron Meehan sent a flyball to right, deep enough to score
Adams Torres from third. The third run came on a wild pitch, which allowed Whitehead to come across.
From there, things would stay quiet on both ends for a while.
Kieran Casey was effective in his start for Rollins, going five innings while allowing just one hit and no runs. The Tars added to their lead in the fifth when Torres singled home
Spencer Sarringar,
Rollins made a pitching change in the sixth, and Tech was able to bring in a run on a two-out single. Tech would then make a last-minute push in the eighth inning. The Panthers managed to score three runs on three hits to tie things up. After Rollins went scoreless in the ninth, Tech had two men on with one out in the bottom half, but Whitehead, making his season debut on the mound, was able to get out of the jam unscathed.
The tenth and eleventh innings were scoreless on both sides. In the twelfth,
Jack Herring led off with a single. A sac bunt and a fly ball moved him to third with two outs, setting the stage for pinch-hitter
Andres Antonini. He came through with a double down the right filed line to put Rollins up 5-4.
Jaxon Mills was called upon in the bottom half to close things out. He allowed a leadoff single, but then retired the next three hitters to secure the save.
Rollins only totaled six hits in the game, with Whitehead and Torres each accounting for two.
The Tars will have the week to get settled before returning home for a conference series against Barry. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00 PM on Friday.
