SANFORD, Fla. - Senior centerfielder Paul Pakan (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) was 2-for-3 with a homerun and a double, but the Case Western Reserve University baseball team suffered a 4-3 setback versus the University of Rochester (N.Y.) on day four of the 2013 University Athletic Association Championship at Sanford Memorial Stadium.
The Spartans (5-3, 3-2 UAA) slip a half-game behind first-place Washington University-St. Louis (3-1 UAA) in the conference standings and will return to action tomorrow evening versus Brandeis University (Mass.) at 5:00 p.m. The Judges handed the Spartans their other league loss by a score of 4-2 in 10 innings on Tuesday.
The win keeps the Yellowjackets (2-3, 2-3 UAA) in the championship race with four days remaining.
U of R scored twice in the top of the second following an RBI single by Brendan Garry and a sacrifice fly from Steve Eychner. The Yellowjackets threatened to add to their lead after the first two batters reached base in the next frame, but Spartan senior starter Jamie Hora (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) was able to induce a key groundball double play to keep the deficit at 2-0.
Two more Yellowjackets reached in the fourth, but with runners at the corners, junior reliever Josh Suvak (Independence, Ohio/Independence) ended the threat with a pickoff at first base.
Rochester kept the pressure on in the fifth and finally broke through again as Nolan Schultz hit a two-out, two-run single that was set up by a fielding error.
After being held to just one hit through six, the Spartans got on the board when Pakan hit a two-run homer to left after sophomore rightfielder Andrew Gronski (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) had reached on an error.
Stephen Cool (1-0) threw the first eight innings for Rochester and allowed only two unearned runs on three hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
Adam Sullivan came on for the save, but an error and a hit batter gave the Spartans a chance to tie the game. Sophomore catcher Robert Winemiller (Twinsburg, Ohio/University School) brought the score to 4-3 with a sac fly, but Sullivan was able to get a game-ending strikeout with the potential tying run at third.
Hora (0-1), who left action on Sunday with a minor injury, pitched the first three innings and surrendered two earned runs in his first decision of the season. Suvak was effective out of the bullpen and logged the final six innings without allowing an earned run.
Pakan's 2-for-3 performance included a double and a hit by pitch. The homer was his second of the season.
Garry led the Yellowjackets with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.