WINTER PARK, Fla. (March 1, 2025) - It was a lovely day for softball at Martin Luther King Junior Park, and Rollins made it even better with a doubleheader sweep of the Embry-Riddle Eagles. After a dominant, run-rule victory in game one, the Tars rallied in game two with a dramatic, dead-center walk-off bomb to send the home fans home happy.
Game One
Reese Twiggs took the circle and was dominant once again. Twiggs stifled the Eagles offensively as they mustered only four hits on the day. Across six innings, Twiggs had two strikeouts while walking none for the second consecutive outing.
The Rollins offense was spectacular as well. The Tars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to a bases loaded walk drawn by
Makayla Layton and an error by the Eagles later in the frame.
In the third, Rollins tacked on another run on back-to-back hits by
Brie Michelli and
Madi Carr. The duo at the heart of the lineup did damage throughout the game, combining for seven hits and four runs between the two. Carr's RBI in the third made it 3-0, but the damage could have been worse. Through the first three innings, the Tars left six runners on base. It was only a matter of time before the offense would bust the game open.
That offense explosion came in the bottom of the fifth, when the Tars added four more runs. The first four batters reached in the frame. Most notably,
Marisa Edevane drove in a run and wreaked havoc on the bases to come across the plate later in the inning. A pinch-hit single by
Jaden Walker made it 7-0 before the Eagles would record the final out.
After a shutdown inning by Twiggs in the top of the sixth, the Tars only needed one more run to end the game due to mercy rule. Following a Michelli single, Carr stepped up to the plate and said let's pack this one up and play game two. Carr drilled one over the left field fence, walking it off for the Tars win.
Game Two
The Tars jumped out to an early lead once again in game two thanks to aggressive base running. After a leadoff single, Bri Perantoni came around to score, stealing home for the Tars first run.
The score would remain 1-0 in Rollins favor until the fourth, when Embry-Riddle left-fielder Leah Oberkehr led off with an inside-the-park home run to knot the score at one. The Tars quickly answered, however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back hits by Brooke Thiesen and
Brie Michelli set the stage for
Marisa Edevane to do damage, and the sophomore took full advantage. Edevane doubled to left field, and just like that, Rollins had the lead once again.
Embry-Riddle pulled a little closer in the sixth, but Rollins would maintain a 3-2 lead heading into the final inning of play thanks to
Taylor Hartman shutting the door on any additional threat. Hartman came in to relieve freshman
Grace Hautzinger, who was solid once again in the circle. Hautzinger finished going five plus innings, giving up two runs on six hits while walking three and striking out one.
Hartman stayed on to begin the seventh, getting the first out, but the Eagles would not go down without a fight. A walk and an error set up a game-tying single before elusive base running gave Embry-Riddle the lead. The Tars would enter the bottom half of the seventh with work to do, now trailing 4-3.
Veteran
Grace Germer was up to the challenge. Germer lined a single to left to get things started and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. After a groundout moved Germer to third, the Tars just needed one more productive out to tie the game.
But
Makayla Layton did not want to tie the game… she wanted to
win it. On a 1-0 count, Layton roped a dead-center missile over the fence sending the dugout and the home crowd into a frenzy! The home run was Layton's second on the season, but the first to come by way off a walk-off. The game clinching hit also gave
Reese Twiggs the win, after she came on to get the final two outs in the top of the seventh.
The Tars will look to carry Saturday's momentum into a busy week. Rollins will play four home double headers across a seven-day stretch, all against non-conference opponents. The homestand continues Monday when the Assumption University Greyhounds come to town. First pitch of game one will take place at 5:00pm. Be sure to check out all the action, all season long at RollinsSports.com.
