Columbia
Rollins
More Late-Game Heroics for Baseball Result in an 8-7 Win at Rollins
3/17/2011 9:12:00 PM | Baseball
WINTER PARK, Fla. -- In a wild finish, Columbia broke open a 7-7 tie on rookie Aaron Silbar's run-scoring single that scored Nick Cox, who stole second base during the at-bat. It gave the Lions an 8-7 lead in the top of the ninth as Ricky Kleban escaped a bases-loaded situation in the eighth and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win, Columbia's fifth straight during its road trip.
Columbia took a 1-0 lead in the first when Dario Pizzano tripled to score Eric Williams, who singled with one out. The Lions tacked on two more in the third on a run-scoring double by Anthony Potter and an RBI single by Nick Crucet.
Pizzano made it 4-0 in the fourth on his first home run of the season as Lautmann cruised through the first five innings, keeping the Tars off the scoreboard.
Rollins finally broke through in the sixth when Kevin Mager went down to golf a low fastball over the wall in left field to cut the deficit in half, making it a 4-2 game.
Rollins tied the game in the seventh on an unearned run, tying the game at 4-4. Columbia reliever Roger Aquino was able to keep the go-ahead run from scoring, getting the final out as the contest moved into the eighth.
With two outs, the Lions began their rally. Enmanuel Cabreja drew a two-out walk and Alex Godshall ran for him at first. Crucet followed by taking a fastball off his leg to move Godshall to second.
Williams followed with a sharp single through the hole into right field that scored Godshall with the go-ahead run, making it 5-4. Pizzano kept the inning going by scorching a double over the head of the left fielder, scoring Crucet and Williams to give Columbia a 7-4 lead.
Rollins tied the game with three runs in the eighth on two hits as the game was tied again at 7-7.
With one out and the bases loaded, Ricky Kleban jammed Max Pavy, the Tars' leadoff batter, and retired him on a soft liner back to the mound. Kleban had a chance to double off pinch-runner Tyler Jacobs at third, who came too far down the line, but his throw sailed over Williams' head and down the left field line.
It took a minute for Jacobs to see the overthrow as he crossed the plate already and had to sprint back to third. When Williams retrieved it and fired to Silbar covering third, Jacobs had gotten back but Silbar alertly threw to second to double off Greg Smith, who had also strayed too far from the bag, ending the inning in a double play that many in the Alfond Stadium crowd had never seen before.
Columbia took advantage of the newfound momentum in the top of the ninth, mounting another two-out rally. Potter drew a walk on the seventh pitch of the at-bat and Nick Cox entered to run at first base.
Cox stole second base on an 0-1 pitch to Silbar, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Silbar subsequently delivered, ripping a 2-2 pitch through the hole on the right side as Cox scored the go-ahead run, giving Columbia an 8-7 lead.
Kleban worked around a two-out walk in the ninth, getting pinch-hitter Brooks McMinn on a popup to Silbar for the last out.
Crucet, Williams, Pizzano, Banos and Silbar all had multiple-hit games as Columbia outhit its opponent for the ninth time in 10 games.
Lautmann worked six innings and allowed five hits and two runs. He struck out three and did not walk a batter. Adam Ogburn, who worked the final inning and a third for Rollins, was tagged with the loss.
Columbia will open a three-game series at Central Florida beginning Friday, March 18 at 6:30 p.m.
NOTES:
Columbia and Rollins last met in 1989 ... the Lions have scored 22 runs in the eighth and ninth innings this season ... Columbia is 5-1 when its scores first and 3-0 when it scores in the first inning ... 11 different Columbia batters have posted multiple-hit games this season ... Max Lautmann, Joey Gandolfo and Roger Aquino all made their first appearances of the season on the mound ... Nick Crucet stole second base and third base during one at-bat in the third inning ... Columbia's top three hitters went a combined 7-for-12 with six runs batted in.
