Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Rollins College
Chippewas Halt Rollins' 12-game Winning Streak
3/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2002
WINTER PARK, Fla. - Redshirt freshman Keith Sampsell (Vickburg) hit a towering triple to straight-away centerfield to drive in the winning run in the ninth inning of Central Michigan University's 8-7 season-opening triumph over Rollins College here Friday night.
The win ended Rollins' win streak at 12 and dropped its record to 14-2. The Chippewas are 1-0. The two teams will meet in a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Junior Mike Gates, who had singled, rumbled in from first base on Sampsell's first collegiate hit for the one-run edge.
Senior Gavin Gillette, an All-Mideast region selection as a reliever in 2001, picked up the save with a hitless ninth-inning of work. Junior Dan Horvath went the first six innings and allowed six runs, two earns. However, the win went to senior Lee Naplin who tossed two innings of one-run ball and was the pitcher of record when Sampsell launched his shot off losing reliever, Nick Manson.
It was a bittersweet win for CMU as junior outfielder Danny Gibbons had four hits in five at-bats but pulled a hamstring and had to leave the game in the ninth after being thrown out trying to steal second prior to Gates' hit. The status of the JC transfer is unknown.
Gibbons drove in two runs, one with a double in the first and another with as triple in the fifth. Junior Ryan Krueger drove in two runs with a double in the second.
CMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning and 5-2 after two. However, the Tars rallied to tie it at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth. The Chippewas won despite being called for five balks in the game.
