ITHACA, NY – Sophomore Josh Leadem launched a walk-off grand slam to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for the University of Rochester baseball team in the Liberty League Tournament opener against RIT on Thursday afternoon at Ithaca's Freeman Field.
The home run, Leadem's second of the season, lifted Rochester to a five-run bottom of the ninth, rallying for a 7-5 victory to advance into the winners bracket at the double-elimination conference tournament.
Rochester's victory pushes the Yellowjackets to 30-9 on the season, matching the single-season wins record set back in the 2009 campaign. RIT falls to 19-18 with the loss.
The Tigers will play in an elimination game on Friday morning against the loser of Ithaca and Clarkson, while Rochester faces off against the winner in a 1 pm matchup. There will be a third game on Friday with the winner of game one and the loser of game two squaring off in another elimination game.
UR's rally in the ninth erased a game filled will several miscues and missed chances which allowed the Tigers to build their lead. Rochester committed three errors, had a passed ball and committed four wild pitches which led to three of RIT's five runs in the game.
RIT meanwhile also had some command issues on the mound, as Tiger pitchers combined to hit five batters and walk three others.
Rochester threatened early, getting the leadoff batter on base in each of the first three innings, but was unable to scrape together a run-scoring rally.
The Tigers got the scoring started in their half of the third inning when Randy Dodig walked, got to second on a single, moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Yellowjacket passed ball.
In the fourth, Rochester loaded the bases with one out following a Harper Sy triple, Luke Piontek infield hit and Leadem hit by pitch. RIT starter John Arnold wiggled out of the jam though, getting a force play at the plate and fly out to left.
Rochester took the lead a few innings later when Matt Cappelletti laced a 2-out, 2-run single to right center, giving the Yellowjackets the 2-1 lead.
UR's advantage was short lived though, as the Tigers scored the tying run in the seventh thanks to a Yellowjacket throwing error. RIT tried to take the lead on the RBI single by Kyle Poorman, but a strong throw from center field by Aaron Whitley gunned down the go-ahead run at home plate.
RIT took a 3-2 lead in the eighth on a wild pitch from reliever Thomas Karpishin. The run scored after the first two batters reached on singles off of Jason Cobert. Karpishin came in and got the first out, but then uncorked two wild pitches back to back to allow the go-ahead run to score. UR's closer was able to escape without any further damage getting a foul out and line out to end the inning.
In the bottom half of the frame, the Yellowjackets saw Piontek leadoff with a double to right. A sacrifice by Leadem moved him to third bringing up Karpishin to the plate for his first career at-bat in a critical situation.
Karpishin was in the lineup as Rochester had shifted its designated hitter, Piontek, in to play catcher after starting catcher John Moses was lifted earlier in the game for a pinch-hitter. Because of that switch, UR lost the DH in its lineup and Karpishin was forced to hit or be removed for a pinch-hitter.
Rochester elected to let Karpishin bat, and he hit a high chopper to third which he was able to leg out for an infield single. Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, the ball did not allow the runner to score from third, putting runners at the corners.
The next batter, Cappelletti, was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out. RIT reliever Peter Bossinas was able to escape the trouble though, getting a huge strike out and fly out to keep the Tigers on top.
In the ninth, RIT tacked on two more runs to increase its lead to 5-2. After a ground out, Dodig single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Poorman traded places with him, doubling to left to score a run.
After back-to-back infield singles loaded the bases, Karpishin got Ian Libby to line out to second for the second out, but in trying to double off the runner at second, UR threw the ball away, allowing Poorman to score from third, giving the Tigers the three-run cushion heading to the final half inning.
Bossinas opened the bottom of the ninth by hitting Joseph Rende with a pitch. Brian McKinsey followed with a walk and Sy singled to cut the lead to 5-3, bringing the winning run to the plate. Piontek walked to lead the bases and Leadem finished the job with the walk-off slam.
Leadem finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBI to go along with his home run. Piontek reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks, adding a double. Sy and Cappelletti each had two hits on the game as well, with Cappelletti driving in two runs.
On the mound, Nolan Sparks got the start for Rochester and went six innings, scattering four hits and two runs, both of which were unearned. He walked one and struck out two. Cobert relieved and gave up one run in his one inning of work, with Karpishin picking up the win going the final two innings for Rochester.
Arnold ended up going seven innings for RIT in a no-decision. He allowed eight hits and two runs with one walk and one strikeout. Bossinas took his second loss of the year, giving up five runs in one-plus inning.
Poorman was the offensive leader for the Tigers, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Dodig was 1-for-2 with two runs and a walk. Leadoff hitter John Bagley added a 2-for-5 day and Will Porter chipped in two hits as well.