Tritons Split With Rollins After Tars Walkoff Wins Finale

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Eckerd baseball team built an early lead on the way to a win in the opening game of a doubleheader at Rollins on Saturday, but the Tars foiled a ninth-inning comeback in the finale with a two-out RBI double and a 7-6 walkoff victory.

After Friday night's 13-inning win, Rollins took the series.

In the opener, the Tritons scored eight runs in the first four innings en route to the win. In the finale, Rollins scored in each of the last four innings and negated a two-run ninth for Eckerd that tied the game.

HOW IT ENDED
Game 1
Final: Eckerd 10, Rollins 4
WP: Allen (4-0)  LP: Drennan (1-1)  HR: Glover (3), Donofrio (2), Herron (3)

Game 2
Final: Rollins 7, Eckerd 6
WP: Korosec (1-0)  LP: Achuff (0-2)  HR: Donofrio (3), Meehan (4), Montgomery (4)
Records: Eckerd 17-11 (8-7 SSC); Rollins 16-10 (4-5 SSC)

KEY MOMENTS
Game 1

• The Tritons got on the board quickly in the top of the first after Chase Achuff came through with a two-out, two-run single.  Achuff had another two-RBI single in the third ahead of a Nick Arrivo sacrifice fly and a Justin Glover RBI double as Eckerd took an early 6-0 lead.
• EC plated two more runs in the fourth after having the bases empty with two outs. Garrett Hiott drew a walk and scored on a Mitch Calandra double; Calandra then was brought home by a Sam Cochrane single to make the lead 8-0.
• The Tars broke through against Robin Allen in the fourth on an RBI double by Jack Gonzalez, and Jared Herron added a two-out, two-run homerun in the fifth to cut EC's lead to 8-3.
• Glover and Mitch Donofrio launched back-to-back homers to lead off the eighth to pus the lead back to seven runs at 10-3.
• Rollins picked up a run in the ninth but couldn't muster a rally.

Game 2

• The Tars struck first in the bottom of the second with a run, but Eckerd answered in the top of the third with a two-run triple by Hiott. Justin Glover's sacrifice fly in the fourth added another run for EC.
• After a solo homer for Rollins in the fourth, Glover delivered again in the sixth with a two-out RBI single and a 4-2 lead.
• The Tars drove in a run in the bottom of the inning on a Meehan triple with one out, but Kyle Durham and Jarid Salisbury got the last two outs and left the tying run stranded at third.
• Rollins took the lead in the seventh with runners at second and third. A Joey Favetta wild pitch allowed the tying run to score and a missed throw gave Brendan Brundage enough time to score the go-ahead run.
• A solo homer in the eighth extended RC's lead to 6-4.
• Donofrio blasted a solo shot in the top of the ninth to cut the deficit to one. Keith Leavitt, Jr., walked and Nick Conti was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for a Hiott double that tied the game. Calandra was intentionally walked to set and the strategy paid off as the Tars ended the inning with a double play.
• After two groundouts to start the home half of the ninth, Devon Ortiz singled and swiped second. Sam LaFontaine was walked before Gonzalez roped a double to bring in the winning run. 

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Donofrio homered in both ends of the doubleheader for the second and third homeruns of his college career.
• Conti failed to reach base safely in the opener, bringing his streak of 21 straight games to an end.  Nick Arrivo's 11-game hitting streak was also broken in the first game.
• Achuff had four RBIs in the opening game, a new single-game career high for the junior. Glover drove in a combined four runs in both games, giving him 11 RBIs over his last six games.
• Robin Allen improved to 4-0 with a strong performance in the opener, going 7-1/3 innings allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six.

UP NEXT
The Tritons are back home next weekend hosting Barry in a three-game series beginning on Friday.