MELBOURNE, Fla. – Rollins softball split Saturday's doubleheader with Florida Tech, taking game one 7-5 before falling 5-3 in the nightcap.
Game One – Rollins 7, Florida Tech 5
Brianna Perantoni set the tone early, leading off with a single to right field and advancing to third over the next two at-bats.
Cambrie Todd broke through with an RBI single through the right side, giving the Tars a 1-0 lead.
Florida Tech responded in the second with a run to even the score, then used two hits and a Rollins error in the third to plate three and take a 4-1 advantage.
Rollins answered in the fourth.
Brooke Theisen opened the inning with a single and stole second, and
Marisa Edevane followed with an extra-base hit to put two in scoring position.
Kaeli Zahradnik delivered with a double to center to score both runners and cut the deficit to one.
Claire Long followed by reaching base, and with traffic building, the Tars loaded the bases. A wild pitch brought Long home to tie the game, and a passed ball allowed Perantoni to score, giving Rollins the lead.
The Tars added insurance in the sixth. Theisen recorded her third hit of the day and later came around to score on a Florida Tech error. Zahradnik also crossed the plate in the inning on an RBI single from
Isabella Golas, extending the lead to 7-4.
Florida Tech added one in the seventh on a pair of hits, but Rollins shut down the rally to secure the 7-5 victory.
Camila Leon-Blanco earned the complete-game win in the circle, improving to 8-4 on the season.
Game Two – Florida Tech 5, Rollins 3
Florida Tech struck first in the nightcap, scoring in the second inning with the help of a hit and two Rollins errors. The Panthers added another in the third on a pair of hits to take a 2-0 lead.
Rollins responded in the fourth. Todd led off with a single, and Theisen followed with another base hit. Zahradnik then delivered the big swing, launching a three-run home run to give the Tars a 3-2 lead.
Florida Tech answered in the fifth, stringing together three hits to score three runs and reclaim the lead at 5-3.
Rollins made a late push in the seventh. With two outs, Perantoni and
Rachel Matthiesen recorded back-to-back hits, and Todd drew a walk to load the bases. The Panthers, however, worked out of the jam to secure the 5-3 win.
Rollins moves to 21-12 overall and 9-9 in SSC play, while Florida Tech improves to 26-10-1 (12-5 SSC). The Tars return home Friday, April 10, for a 7 p.m. matchup against Barry in Winter Park.
