WINTER PARK, Fla. – Rollins softball swept the Caldwell Cougars on Monday at MLK Jr. Park, winning game one 8-1 before taking game two 8-4.
Game One – Rollins 8, Caldwell 1
Rollins wasted no time in the opener.
Brianna Perantoni reached base to begin the inning and moved to second on a base hit from
Brooke Theisen.
Rachel Matthiesen cleared the bases moments later, launching a three-run home run to dead center to give the Tars an early 3-0 lead. One swing later,
Madi Carr followed with a solo shot of her own to extend the advantage to four. After a pitching change from Caldwell,
Jenna Borkey kept the inning alive with a single, stealing second before advancing to third on an errant throw.
Isabella Golas added another run with a sacrifice fly to left, making it 5-0.
Both teams were held quiet from the second through the fourth innings before Caldwell finally broke through with a hit, though the runner was left stranded.
Rollins threatened again in the fifth as
Monica Kading and Perantoni hit back-to-back singles before Matthiesen loaded the bases with another base hit. The Tars were unable to capitalize in the frame, sending the game to the sixth.
Caldwell plated a run in the top of the sixth to trim the deficit, but Rollins responded immediately.
Kaeli Zahradnik reached after being hit by a pitch and quickly stole second.
Claire Long followed with a single through the left side to score her and push the lead back to five. Perantoni added her second hit of the game, bringing Long home, and Matthiesen drove in another run with a base hit to extend the lead to 8-1.
The Tars closed things out with a three-up, three-down seventh inning.
Camila Leon-Blanco earned the complete-game victory in the circle, improving to 4-2 on the season.
Game Two – Rollins 8, Caldwell 4
Caldwell struck first in the nightcap, using a walk and a base hit to plate a run and take a 1-0 lead.
Rollins answered quickly. Perantoni drew a leadoff walk and stole second before Carr blasted a two-run home run over the wall to give the Tars a 2-1 advantage.
The momentum carried into the second inning. Zahradnik singled up the middle before
Claire Long reached on an infield error to give Rollins runners on the corners. Another Caldwell miscue allowed Zahradnik to score, extending the lead to two.
Daylin Hejtmanek later drew a walk, and Theisen followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1.
After a quiet third inning, Rollins added to its lead in the fourth. Golas reached on a fielder's choice and Hejtmanek drew another walk, moving both runners into scoring position. Theisen delivered again, sending a double to left center to drive in both runs and stretch the advantage to 6-1.
The Tars added insurance in the fifth.
Emma Gipple led off with a single and advanced to second on a bunt. An error allowed
Alondra Maldonado-Ortiz to reach, and Zahradnik was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Golas drew a walk to force in a run, and Hejtmanek reached on an error that brought home another to make it 8-1.
Caldwell responded with two runs on three hits in the sixth and added another in the seventh to cut into the deficit. With runners aboard in the final frame, Golas cut down a runner at the plate to end the game and secure the 8-4 win.
Addison Crawford earned the complete-game victory in the circle, striking out four while improving to 3-1 on the season.
Rollins improves to 14-5 on the year and returns to action this weekend for a Sunshine State Conference series against Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach, beginning Friday, March 13, at 5 p.m.
