Saturday, February 19, 2005
ROLLINS SWEEPS BLUE HOSE
WINTER PARK, FL – The Rollins College baseball team (10-4) defeated Presbyterian College (2-9) 4-1 in both games of Saturday’s double header.
David Nathanson pitched a complete game, giving up one run on six hits and striking out four, earning the win in game one to move to 3-0 on the season. Game two went to Gator Brooks, who also gave up one run and struck out four. It was Brooks’ second win of the season, with Nick Manson picking up his second save, pitching 1.1 innings giving up one hit and striking out one.
Rollins got on the board first in game one. Manson led off the game for the Tars with a single and advanced to second on Juan Dieguez’s sacrifice bunt. He moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored when Luis Dieguez singled.
The Blue Hose answered right back in the next inning when Lance Howard was able to score on a failed pick off attempt.
The Tars broke the tie game in the fifth when they scored three runs. Jeff Halbert reached base on an error and moved to second on Manson’s single. Both runners advanced when J. Dieguez laid down a sacrifice bunt. L. Dieguez then grounded out to second to score Halbert. Manson scored on a wild pitch. Ron Baptiste then struck out but reached base on a passed ball. He then stole second and third. The throw to third base sailed high and Baptiste was able to score on the erroneous throw.
Presbyterian jumped out to the early lead in game two. Russell Robinson was hit by a pitch to get on base, and was later driven in on a grounder from Donald Sheppard to take the 1-0 lead.
The Tars came back in the bottom half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. Garrett Preisser doubled to drive in Brent Magnuson and scored in the Tars’ next at bat when Halbert got his first hit of the game. While that was all the Tars needed, they scored two more runs in the sixth just in case. L. Dieguez led off the inning with a double and scored on Gene Howard’s single. Howard later scored on an errant throw from the shortstop.
Nathanson and Brooks got the wins for the Tars, while the loses went to Presbyterian’s Ryan Ariail and Eric Tatum. Manson picked up a save in the second game. Dieguez led all batters going 4-for-6 and driving in two runs.
Manson and Halbert were the only other Tars to have multiple hits, with Manson going 2-for-3 in game one and Halbert getting a hit in each game. Baptiste made a highlight reel diving catch in the fourth inning of game two to preserve the Tars’ lead. Halbert and Baptiste each had a stolen base. The Tars have won three straight.
The Tars and Blue Hose end their four game series on Sunday, February 20th at Alfond Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.