ITHACA, NY – For the second day in a row, the University of Rochester baseball team mounted a big ninth inning comeback, this time in an elimination game, defeating Clarkson University 7-6 to advance in the Liberty League Tournament on Friday afternoon at Ithaca's Freeman Field.
Senior Harper Sy drove in classmate Brian McKinsey with a one-out single in the bottom of the ninth, capping a four-run inning, helping the Yellowjackets stave off the fourth seeded Golden Knights (12-19). One batter before, McKinsey tied the game with a bases-clearing double.
The win sets a new school record for single-season wins for the Yellowjackets, moving to 31-10 on the season.
Rochester will now take on top-seeded Ithaca for the conference title on Saturday. The Yellowjackets must win both games on Saturday to earn the leagues tournament title and automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
Earlier in the day on Friday, UR fell 8-7 in ten innings to the host Bombers in a winners bracket contest, forcing Rochester into the elimination game.
The night cap was a terrific pitchers duel for the first five innings of the contest. Clarkson starter Glenn Stever did not allow a hit through the opening five frames, while Rochester's Trevor Van Allen allowed just three hits through six innings.
Rochester opened the scoring in the sixth. Joseph Rende led off the inning with the 'Jackets first hit, lining a double just inside the right field line. After Quincy Jaksch was hit by a pitch, John Moses laid down a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position.
Aaron Whitley lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Rende and move Jaksch up to third. McKinsey followed by striking out, but a wild pitch kept the inning alive and allowed Jaksch to cross the plate, putting the Yellowjackets up 2-0.
Clarkson broke through in a big way the next inning, answering with a 6-run frame to take the lead. Clarkson sent ten men to the plate, chasing Van Allen from the game. The Rochester senior tossed 6.1 innings and allowed 5 hits, 5 walks and 4 runs (3 earned) while striking out 4.
Three of the six runs ended up being unearned thanks to a pair of Yellowjacket errors in the inning. Kent Wilson provided a 2-run double to right, while Joe Pagano also added a 2-run hit in the inning.
The Yellowjackets Josh Leadem lifted a solo home run to left to get one run back in the bottom of the inning, keeping his strong tournament run going. The home run ended Stever's day after six innings, with the right-hander allowing three runs on just two hits and one walk. He struck out two and also hit two batters.
Two of the next three batters in the seventh reached base, but Clarkson was able to escape the inning with the lead after no additional runs came across.
UR reliever Dillon Bevan pitched great over the final two innings, keeping the Yellowjackets within scoring distance. He finished with 2.2 innings of work, allowed two unearned runs and struck out three.
Rochester nearly tied it in the eighth, as the Yellowjackets were able to load the bases after McKinsey and Leadem each singled and Jacob Matzat drew a walk. A pitching change brought in Griffin Tubbs for Clarkson and he was able to get a big strikeout of Dan Tirabassi to preserve the three-run lead heading into the ninth.
In the ninth, UR's bottom third of the order started the rally. Rende led off with a single to left center. After a pinch-hit fly out, Luke Piontek also pinch-hit and singled to left, bringing the tying run to the plate. Aaron Whitley was hit by a pitch, his 21st of the season, tying the school record, to load the bases.
Tubbs was removed on the mound for Nicholas Hofacker, but on a 1-1 pitch, McKinsey ripped a double to left center, clearing the bases and tying the game at 6-6. The next batter, Sy, fought off a couple of 0-2 pitches and ended the game with his walk-off single to right.
Rende finished the game going 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and a walk. McKinsey added a 2-for-5 game with 3 RBI, a double, run and stolen base. Leadem was 2-for-3 and launched his second home run in as many days.
Joe Pagano led Clarkson's offense, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Wilson drove in two runs in a 1-for-4 performance.
Saturday's championship series begins at 10 am. It will be the fourth straight Liberty League Tournament final appearance for Rochester, dating back to the 2018 season. UR lost that year to Union before winning tournament titles in 2019 and 2021, with no tournament being held in the 2020 COVID cancelled season.