ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT baseball team (7-8, 2-2 Liberty League) took both games of a doubleheader versus Liberty League foe University of Rochester (10-9, 5-3 Liberty League) from Tiger Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. RIT won game one, 5-0 and rallied from a five-run deficit to win game two on a walk-off wild pitch, 7-6. The Tigers have now won four straight games.
In game one, RIT junior hurler Stevie Branche (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz) was outstanding, limiting the Rochester offense, who scored 23 runs in two meetings against the Tigers on March 24 to just four hits. Branche did not allow a runner past second base and struck out eight Yellowjackets batters to earn his first win of the 2019 season and first shutout of his collegiate career.
RIT would gain the early lead with a pair of first inning runs, as Kyle Terzini (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) lifted a double to center field that scored Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem). Terzini would advance to third on a wild pitch and would score on an attempted double steal, as the trailing runner was thrown out.
Navada Waterman (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport) would lead off the third inning with a walk, advance to second on a wild pitch, move to third on a sacrifice bunt and score on a sacrifice fly from Capra to make it 3-0. Capra led off the sixth inning with a bloop double and came around to score on a single by Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville). Ian Libby (Melrose, MA/Malden Catholic) would lift a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Terzini, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame to complete the scoring.
Rochester would jump out to a 5-0 lead in game two. The Yellowjackets tallied three runs in the second inning and single runs in the third and fourth inning to build the lead.
RIT would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Patrick Blackall (Hershey, PA/Hershey), the reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Week, crushed a majestic two-run home run over the left field fence to cut the Rochester lead to 5-2. The homer was Blackall's team best third of the season, giving him 17 RBIs.
After Rochester scored a run in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 6-2 game, RIT chipped away, scoring twice in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit to 6-4. Joey Mylott (Aurora, OH/Western Reserve Academy) singled in Luke McNamara (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin), while Capra hit a sacrifice fly that scored Waterman.
RIT would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring a pair of unearned runs with two outs. Patrick Mylott (Aurora, OH/Western Reserve Academy) would reach on a throwing error and score on a double by McNamara to make it 6-5. Waterman would slice a double down the left field line that plated McNamara to tie the game.
Steve Pickering would draw a two-out walk in the top of the seventh inning, but was thrown out trying to steal second by McNamara to end the inning. In the bottom half, Terzini singled with one out and after a flyout, used aggressive base running to move first to third on a single by Zeglen. Jack Herman would enter in relief and on his first pitch, with Zeglen making a break for second, uncorked a wild pitch to the backstop, allowing Terzini to cross home plate for RIT's walk-off victory.
Jacob Matzat was 3-for-4 with a double to lead the way for Rochester. Brendan Shamieh allowed three hits and two runs, while striking out six batters in four innings. Jack Denzer would take the loss, allowing seven hits and five runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings.
McNamara and Terzini had two hits apiece to lead the RIT attack. Capra started on the mound for the Tigers, allowing six hits and five runs, while striking out five batters over four innings. Jon Opalewski (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) pitched the fifth inning, while Matt Vitro (Carmel, NY/Carmel) and Michael Campbell (Honeoye Falls, NY/McQuaid Jesuit) each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Campbell would be credited with the win, his first of 2019.
RIT and Rochester split the regular season series, 2-2. Rochester won both games at Towers Field on March 24 by scores of 9-2 and 14-10.
RIT is back in action with a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend against defending Liberty League Champion Union College. Saturday's doubleheader from Tiger Stadium starts at 1 p.m., while Sunday's contests begin at 12 p.m.