WINTER PARK, Fla. - A crucial 11th-inning error allowed Rollins to walk-off on the Embry-Riddle baseball team on Friday night. The Tars (8-5) took the series opener, 6-5 on a sacrifice fly after the Eagles (8-4) had come back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the game in the sixth. ERAU stranded 13 runners in the loss, while Rollins improved to 8-3 all-time against ERAU in Winter Park.

Corey Tufts got the start for the Eagles, and after a scoreless first inning from both him and Tar starter Brian Auerbach, gave up his first long ball of the year, a two-run homer in the second that gave the hosts a 2-0 lead.

ERAU couldn't get a hit with runner's on base against Auerbach through the first five innings, and Rollins ballooned its lead to 5-0 in the fifth with three runs on three hits and an Eagle error.

The sixth proved to be a different story for the Blue and Gold hitters, starting with Laim Goodall's single to begin the frame. Matt Jacobs walked, followed by Kyle Zirbes' single through the left side of the infield, his second of three hits on the night. With the bases loaded, Logan Malphurs found a hole on the right side of the infield to score the first Eagle run, followed by a fielder's choice from Dalton Hughes that broguth in a run. Tobias Moreno made it 5-3 on a base knock to right, and after the Tars made a pitching change and got the second out of the inning, Jonathan Camp came through with a two-out, two-RBI single to center, tying the game at 5-5.

Kyle Miller relieved Tufts to start the bottom of the sixth, and the freshman proved resilient, starting a relief appearance of 3.2 scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits to the Tars.

Unfortuantely for the Eagles, the Rollins' relievers had similar success, keeping the visitors at bay over the final five innings of play.

The Tars threatened to walk-off on the Eagles in the bottom of the ninth after an error and stolen base put a runner at second with two outs. Andrew Schorr was called upon to get the final out of the frame, and after working an eight-pitch full count, got a strikeout to end the threat and send the game to extras.

After a scoreless 10th, Goodall singled and stole second with two outs in the 11th for Embry-Riddle, but a strikeout of Jacobs ended the top-half of the inning with the game still tied at 5-5.

Joey Swinarski, who pitched a scoreless 10th, faced a tough situation after the leadoff hitter reached on an Eagle fielding error, moving to second on the miscue. A deep fly ball to right moved the runner to third before a shallow fly ball down the right field line allowed the winning run to slide in safely for the 6-5 final.

ERAU out-hit the Tars, 12-9, as Zirbes led the way with three hits, and both Moreno and Goodall each had two.

Tufts went five innings, allowing seven hits and five runs, with five strikeouts, the first of which gave him 200 for his ERAU career. Miller worked 3.2 scoreless innings out of the pen while Swinarski (0-2) was tagged with the loss in 1.2 innings of relief.

The Eagles and Tars will meet tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 27 for a 1 p.m. twin bill at Alfond Stadium.