WINTER PARK, Fla. (February 16, 2024) - It was a playoff-like atmosphere in Winter Park on Friday as two of the top teams in the country battled it out twice on the diamond. Rollins came away with a walk-off 7-6 win in game one, while the West Florida Argonauts withstood a Tars comeback in game two to win 4-3. Rollins now stands at 5-3 on the year, while West Florida moves to 6-2.
Game One
West Florida got on the board in the first when Darrien McDowell singled and stole second base. On the throw down, the ball bounced off his helmet all the way into left field, allowing him to score on the play. In the bottom half, Rollins looked primed to make some noise with two on and no out. Unfortunately,
Jeslyn Whitehead's line drive was caught by the pitcher, who flipped it to second, and then on to first for a triple play.
The Tars did manage to tie things up in the second when
Angelo Ramirez delivered an RBI single that drove in
Mason Wilson.
After starter
Edward Berry retired the next 14 hitters in a row, the Tars struck again in the fifth.
Jimmy Thies scored on a wild pitch,
Damaurys Rodriguez drove in two with a triple to right field, and Wilson brought in Rodriguez with a triple of his own off the wall in right-center.
Berry's streak reached 17 up, 17 down before a McDowell double led off the seventh. He was brought in on a single from Jackson Grabsky to make the score 5-2. They would then tie the score at five in the eighth inning on a fielder's choice, a groundout, and a single.
With two outs in the ninth, the Argos punched a single through the right side to go up 6-5.
Rollins, never going down without a fight, got going with a leadoff double from
Jose Perez. After an error put men on the corners,
Drew Howard laid down a bunt, but nifty play from McDowelll at first had Perez called out at home. After a flyout,
Jack Herring was looking at a 1-2 count with two outs. The junior smoked a ball up the middle to drive in
Oscar Murray, tying the game. The next hitter was
Nathan Tinder, who calmy ripped a single to right to plate Howard and win the game.
Berry's final line in the no decision was seven innings, four hits, one earned run, zero walks, and six strikeouts. Rodriguez reached base three times, drove in two, and scored to lead the offense.
Game Two
Rollins got off to a hot start in game two. After
Nick Berger put the Argos down in order, Tinder looped a double down the left field line that brought in Herring and Whitehead.
The third inning proved costly as West Florida seemed to find every gap in the field with their ground ball base hits. Three straight singles, plus an error at first, brought in two runs. Then with two outs, a double to right drove in two more runs to make it 4-2.
A pitcher's duel covered the next four innings as neither team scored. In the eighth, Herring walked, stole second, and scored on a single from Whitehead to pull the Tars within one.
In the bottom of the ninth,
Rob Buckley and Perez were both hit by pitches. A wild pitch would move them both up a base and into scoring position. Murray would strike out to end the threat and the game, however.
Berger took the loss, allowing four runs (one earned) in 6.2 innings with five strikeouts. Herring scored twice, while Tinder drove in two to lead the offense.
The two teams will match up once more on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm in Winter Park.
