TAMPA, Fla. (May 14, 2026) – Baseball stumbled in their opening game of the NCAA South Regional, but bounced back with a jaw-dropping comeback to capture their contest against #6 seed West Alabama by a score of 8-7.

Rollins shook off an early error to the leadoff hitter to keep the Tigers off the board in the first. The offense couldn't scratch a run across either as they headed to the second.

After Noah Greenseid disposed of West Alabama in the second, he received his first dose of run support. Jayden Brown led off with a walk. Two batters later, Jimmy Thies ripped a single to right field. It hit the turf hard, and skipped past the rightfielder, allowing Brown to score and Thies to end up on third. Next up was Matthew Mateo, who lined a ball to left deep enough to bring Thies in to make it 2-0.

Greenseid worked another perfect inning in the third, helped by a fantastic sliding catch from Michael Furry in right for the third out. The Tars threatened when Collin Hughes walked, followed by a hard hit single from Furry. On the hit, the centerfielder bobbled the ball, and Hughes attempted to take third, but was thrown out, sapping the momentum.

The fourth inning was an utter disaster for the Tars. It started with a sharp liner to left from Rashad Robinson. Matthew Mateo dove for the ball, but it got by him, putting a runner on second. Two batters later, Nick Wilson doubled to the right field gap, scoring one. Next was a wild pitch, followed by a walk. The next batter chopped a ball back up the middle, tailor-made for a double play. Unfortunately, Greenseid jumped to grab it, and it bounced off his glove, allowing a run to score and the inning to continue.

The next combination of plays included a wild pitch, a seeing-eye RBI single, another walk, a two-run single up the middle, and then a single to short that scored the sixth run of the inning. Coby Vallee came on in relief, and induced a lineout double play on nice glovework from Mauri Bejarano to end the madness. The Tars went down in order in the bottom half.

Vallee recorded a pair of strikeouts in the top of the fifth. In the bottom half, Bejarano reached on an infield single and stole second base, but a strikeout ended the inning.
West Alabama struck again in the sixth, using a double and a single to add another run to their tally. The Tigers made a pitching change in the bottom half, and earned a pair of looking strikeouts.

Vallee worked around an infield single and a hit batter to keep the Tigers off the board in the seventh. Rollins didn't just get back on the board in the bottom half; they recaptured the lead. Thies led off with a double to center, and moved to third on a groundout. Stephen Deans then delivered a single to center to score a run. Next up was Bejarano, who ripped a double off the left field wall. Joey Rubin followed with an infield single to load the bases, and then Hughes delivered an RBI single.

A pitching change followed, and Furry sent a groundball to second base. The Tigers' fielder threw the ball into the outfield, allowing two runs to score. After Jayden Brown walked, Mason Elrod stepped up and ripped a single through the right side to score two, putting the Tars up 8-7. Rollins reloaded the bases, but a double play ball quelled any further damage.

With the dugout going crazy, Vallee trotted back out and delivered a dominant frame, earning a looking strikeout and a swinging strikeout to close out the eighth. Stephen Deans walked and made his way to third, but was left stranded.

Head coach Jon Sjogren rode the hot hand, and sent Vallee back out in the ninth to finish the job. He struck out the first hitter, and then had the entire crowd holding their breath when Tyler Pierce sent a ball to the warning track. Thankfully, Mateo tracked it down to put two outs on the board. Then, with a full count, Vallee earned his eighth strikeout to seal the win.

Vallee was a force in this one, going 5.2 innings, scattering four hits, allowing one run and striking out a season-high eight. Jimmy Thies and Mauri Bejarano each had two hits to lead the offense.

Rollins will now face host #2 Tampa in the winner's bracket on Friday, May 15. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 pm.