Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 3, 2024) – The Rollins softball team kicked off the 2024 season with a bang on Saturday, defeating Georgia Southwestern, 8-1, before knocking off No. 23 Columbus State, 9-8, at the Eagle Classic hosted by Embry-Riddle. The wins put the Tars at 2-0 on the young season. The loss moved Georgia Southwestern to 1-2, while Columbus State fell to 1-1.
Of note, Sunday's games at the Eagle Classic have been cancelled due to the threat of inclement weather.
Game 1 – Rollins 8, Georgia Southwestern 1
Ashley Worrell went 4-for-4 with a double, home run, and two RBIs, while also earning the victory in the circle, allowing one run on two hits in five innings of work, walking one and striking out four.
Hayley Lazo was 1-for-4 with her first home run as a Tar, and
Taylor Waters finished 1-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases, two runs scored, and two RBIs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Second Inning
- Lazo drilled a solo home run to open the second inning, her first at-bat as a Tar, giving Rollins a 1-0 lead.
- Claire Long followed with a single, and two batters later, Sarah Young doubled to put runners on second and third with one out.
- Grace Germer then reached on a bunt single to load the bases, which allowed Waters to deliver a two-run single, pushing the lead to 3-0.
- After Waters stole second, Bri Michelli doubled home two more runs, increasing the lead to 5-0.
- Worrell then connected on a two-run home run to make it 7-0 Rollins.
Third Inning
- Georgia Southwestern utilized two hits, a walk, and a double steal, including a steal of home, to get on the board in the third, making it a 7-1 game.
Sixth Inning
- Waters drew a two-out walk in the sixth, stole second, took third on an error, and then scored on a wild pitch to give the Tars an 8-1 cushion.
Seventh Inning
- Reese Twiggs, who came on in relief of Taylor Hartman in the sixth inning, kept the Hurricanes off the board, securing the 8-1 win for the Tars.
Game 2 – Rollins 9, No. 23 Columbus State 8
Germer went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in game two, while Lazo was 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and two RBIs. Worrell finished 1-for-1 with a double, a hit-by-pitch, and a run scored, and
Jaden Walker was 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.
Emily MacMullen started for the Tars, allowing three runs (two earned) on just one hit, walking one and striking out two. Twiggs (1-0) got the win in relief, surrendering five runs on seven hits in 1.2 innings, striking out a pair with no walks.
Keivana Durand got her first save, tossing 2.1 shutout innings to close the door, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out four.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
First Inning
- The Cougars got on the board first, scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the first inning to go up 1-0.
Second Inning
- CSU added two more in its half of the second to build a 3-0 lead, but the Tars answered back in the bottom half.
- Worrell led off with a hit-by-pitch, followed by a double from Walker.
- Lazo then laced a double to score both runners, making it 3-2.
- A sacrifice bunt from Long pushed Lazo to third, which proved to be pivotal as Lazo would later score on a wild pitch with two outs to tie the game at 3-3.
Third Inning
- Three straight singles to open the third inning, capped by an RBI base hit from Michelli, put the Tars in front for the first time, 4-3.
- After a Worrell double put two runners in scoring position, Walker knocked in Michelli on a groundout, pushing the lead to 5-3.
Fourth Inning
- Columbus State got a run back on a leadoff homer in the fourth, but the Tars rallied to plate four runs in their half of the inning.
- Long led off with a base hit, then promptly stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.
- Three batters later, Germer launched a three-run home to give Rollins an 8-4 advantage.
- Three batters after that, Chloe Bauer singled home Waters to make it 9-4.
Fifth Inning
- The Cougars tallied five hits and scored four times in the top of the fifth, cutting the margin to just a run at 9-8.
- Keivana Durand came on in relief and recorded a big strikeout to end the frame, stranding the potential tying run at second base.
Seventh Inning
- CSU made things interesting in the top of the seventh, putting two on with nobody out, but Durand was able to slam the door, sealing the 9-8 win and earning her first save in the process.
UP NEXT:
Due to the forecast for inclement weather, tomorrow's games at the Eagle Classic have been cancelled. With that, the Tars will not be back on the field until next Saturday, February 10, when they travel to Longwood for the Florida Tech Classic. Rollins' first match-up in that tournament will be an 11 a.m. contest against Auburn Montgomery.
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