PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester bats stayed hot despite the cool temperatures at Towers Field on Saturday in a doubleheader sweep over conference foe Clarkson University.
Rochester earned a 12-5 victory in game one of the doubleheader and followed that up with a 7-2 win in game two, stretching the Yellowjackets win streak to a season-long nine games.
The wins came on the heels of an 18-10 offensive outburst victory to open the series on Saturday evening.
UR improves to 19-4 overall and 8-0 in the Liberty League, playing its first three West Division games this weekend. Clarkson falls to 5-13 on the year and is 2-6 in the conference (1-4 Divisional).
In game one, the Yellowjackets rallied from a 4-2 deficit after four innings, scoring ten runs over the games final three frames to post the seven-run win.
Four Yellowjackets finished with multiple hits in the game, led by Harper Sy's 4-for-4 performance. He drove in three runs, scored once, added a double and was hit by a pitch. Jacob Matzat, fresh off a UR record tying 9-RBI game on Saturday, went 3-for-4 with a triple, home run, three runs and three RBI.
Aaron Whitley added a 2-for-3 game with a double, triple and three runs scored, while Joseph Rende scored twice and drove in two runs.
On the mound, Trevor Van Allen battled through four innings and picked up the win, his fourth of the season. The senior right hander gave up five hits, four runs (2 earned) and one walk. Mark Aaronson tossed two innings of relief and struck out two, while Thomas Karpishin closed out the game with a scoreless seventh.
In game two, Rochester got a dominant pitching performance from first-year Colby Cruser, with the offense pounding out 14 more hits to close out the series with another strong win.
Cruser finished the game with nine strikeouts over 6.1 innings, surrendering just three hits, one run and one walk. He moves to 2-1 on the season. Jake Larson surrendered one other run and struck out two on the mound, while Spencer Rojahn and Karpishin finished off the Golden Knights.
Offensively, the Yellowjackets scored in the top of the first inning for the third straight game, getting a leadoff inside-the-park home run from Whitley. Matzat followed with an RBI double to complete his two-game cycle on Sunday, coming after he hit for the cycle in one game on Saturday.
Whitley finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run in game two, while Matzat was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles.
Sy finished 3-for-4 in game two, notching singles for each of his hits, he drove in one and scored once. John Moses was 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and RBI, while Brian McKinsey added a 2-for-4 game with two RBI.
After a day off on Monday, the Yellowjackets are back in action on Tuesday evening against Hamilton.