PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Visiting Ithaca College grabbed a weekend series win over the University of Rochester baseball team thanks to a split doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Towers Field.
Rochester took game one by a 7-3 score, thanks to two three run innings late in the game. Ithaca's bats came alive in game two, leading to a 14-8 victory. Both teams are 7-2 in the Division, with Rochester still leading the conference with a 12-2 Liberty League record, while Ithaca is close behind at 10-4.
Overall, the Yellowjackets are now 25-7 on the season and Ithaca sits at 22-9.
In game one, Rochester took the early lead on an Aaron Whitley RBI single to center, scoring Josh Leadem. Both of those players finished game one with two hits and an RBI, with Whitley also scoring two runs. Leadem added to his stat line with two stolen bases.
Ithaca jumped into the lead in the third with Riley Brawdy tripling in a run and scoring on a wild pitch. The next inning, Matt Fabian doubled to right to drive in a run, increasing the Bombers lead to 3-1.
The Fabian hit chased UR's starter, Colby Cruser, from the mound. Dillon Bevan relieved and did a terrific job over the next 2.2 innings, giving up just two hits while striking out two. He earned the win, his second of the season.
In the fifth, Rochester struck for three runs thanks to some off the mark Ithaca pitching. Two walks and a Brian McKinsey single leaded the bases. Pinch-hitter Dylan Stezzi followed by drawing another walk to force in a run and Jackson Reed was hit by a pitch during his at bat, tying the game at 3-3. The next batter, Leadem, grounded out to second putting Rochester on top.
Ithaca was poised to regain the lead in the top of the sixth, but a miraculous catch by Whitley in center field, one which saw him crash into the fence on a Fabian fly ball, stranded the two runners on base.
UR's half of the sixth inning saw Stezzi draw another bases loaded walk for his second RBI of the game and Reed followed with a big two-out, two-run single to center, adding a pair of insurance runs for the Yellowjackets.
Closer Thomas Karpishin pitched around a leadoff hit batter in the seventh to preserve the 7-3 win.
In game two, the teams traded three and two run innings in the second and third to see the score knotted at 5-5 through three innings.
In Ithaca's second, Nicholas Cutaia and Fabian blasted home runs, with Fabian's being a two-run shot. Joseph Rende answered for the Yellowjackets in the bottom half of the inning, clearing the bases with a 3-run double to right.
The Bombers regained the lead in the top of the third with a Connor Pedersen sacrifice fly and a Gil Merod RBI single, but again Rochester respond in the bottom half. Alexander Gonzalo, playing in just his third game of the season, laced a two-out, two-run double to left, pulling the Yellowjackets back even.
One of five Yellowjacket errors in game two cost UR the lead in the fourth, as a grounder to third with two outs was booted, allowing Ithaca to grab the lead.
The next inning, Ithaca sent ten men to the plate and scored four runs, increasing its lead to 10-5. Brawdy had an RBI single while Buzz Shirley knocked in two with a triple to right center. Another 'Jacket error allowed an additional run to cross.
Both teams traded two runs scored in the seventh, with Ithaca also plating two in the eighth. Rochester finished the scoring in the ninth when Reed doubled in Leadem.
Luke Piontek finished with three hits in game two for the Yellowjackets. Rende added a 2-for-4 game with two doubles and three RBI, while Reed and Leadem each had two hits and two runs. Matt Cappelletti chipped in a triple and two RBI.
On the mound, the Yellowjackets used six pitchers. Senior Trevor Van Allen got the start and surrendered four runs over two-plus innings. Spencer Rojahn took the loss, falling to 1-1. Thomas Blaydes had the best outing among the UR hurlers, going a perfect 1.1 innings late in the game with two strikeouts.
Rochester has its final non-conference matchup of the season on Wednesday at SUNY Brockport before closing out the Liberty League regular season schedule with a three-game series against RIT next weekend.