SANFORD, Fla. – Junior southpaw Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) pitched 7.1 innings and allowed just one run in leading the Case Western Reserve University baseball team to a 2-1 victory versus the University of Rochester (N.Y.) in its first game of the 2012 University Athletic Association Championship on Sunday evening at Sanford Memorial Stadium.
The Spartans improve to 7-2 overall, while Rochester falls to 0-2 overall as well as 0-2 in the UAA after losing to Washington University-St. Louis earlier in the day by a narrow 1-0 tally.
On the hill, Hora (3-0) limited the Yellowjackets to just four hits while striking out two and walking just one. Sophomore closer Jose Vega (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) recorded the final five outs for his fourth save of the spring.
Yellowjacket starter Corey King was the tough-luck loser, surrendering two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking five and striking out three in 6.1 innings of work.
Offensively, Case loaded the bases in both the fourth and sixth innings, but was only able to produce a single run in the fourth. Spartan junior centerfielder Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) laced a single to left in the fourth frame, advanced to second on a fielder's choice and ultimately scored by stealing third and touching home following a wild pitch by King.
Rochester then tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom half of the sixth on a homerun from Alex Caghan, but the Spartans wasted little time responding with the eventual winning run in the seventh. Senior leftfielder Jimmy Abed (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) drew a one-out walk, swiped both second and third base, and scored on a throwing error by the Rochester catcher in his attempt to throw the runner out at third.
For the game, Pakan along with senior designated hitter Sam Alexander (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) and senior second baseman Bobby Marko (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Brush) produced Case's three hits.
The Spartans are right back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m. with game two of the UAA Championship versus Emory University (Ga.).