Freshman Andrew Smith got five tough outs in the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his first collegiate save as Clarkson University swept a doubleheader from the University of Rochester on Sunday afternoon. 

The Golden Knights took the nitecap, 7-6, with Smith playing a big role to nail it down. Clarkson won the opener, 6-2, behind a five-hitter from Will Coleman. 

With the sweep, Clarkson sits fourth in the Liberty League race at 13-5. The Golden Knights are 20-6 overall. Rochester drops into a tie for second place with a 15-5 Liberty mark. The Yellowjackets are 24-11 overall.

This week, Rochester visits SUNY Brockport on Tuesday, then goes to Union College next weekend for the regular season finales. The top four teams will compete in the Liberty League playoffs in the first full week of May. An NCAA bid goes to the Liberty League champion.

Rochester fought back from a 7-4 deficit after seven innings in game two. Nolan Schultz lined out to right to start the eighth. Josh Ludwig singled through the right side and Matt Todd walked. Tyler Schmidt singled through the left side, loading the bases. Steve Eychner singled to left, scoring Ludwig. Smith came on, replacing Jamie Terry. He gave up a 10-pitch walk to Sam Slutsky that forced home Todd and cut the Clarkson lead to 7-6. On a 2-2 pitch, Smith got Brian Munoz to ground into a 6-4-3 double play with Matt Jenack's relay just beating Munoz to first base. In the ninth, Smith retired all three Yellowjacket hitters on flyouts. Lance Hamilton popped out to Jenack in short right. Brendan Garry's liner down the right field line was speared by Chris Miller for the second out. Schultz hit a full count pitch to deep left that Nolan Driscoll caught just to the right of the 372-foot sign. 

Terry picked up the victory, his first. In 3.1 innings, he allowed three hits, three walks, and two earned runs.  Dom Pirro started and lasted through the fourth. He gave up five hits, four earned runs, four walks, and struck out two.

The loss went to Luke Meyerson who pitched 5.1 innings, scattering eight hits with two walks and one strikeout. He gave up six runs, four earned. Ethan McGowan threw one inning. He walked three, allowed one hit and one earned run. John Ghyzel relieved in the seventh. He gave up two hits. 

Rochester scored a run in the first when Garry doubled home Slutsky. Clarkson answered with three in its half, two of those unearned . An RBI single by Slutsky in the second and a sac fly from Munoz got Rochester even at 3-3 after one and a half. Clarkson replied with two runs to restore a two-run lead. Anthony Padrazo walked and scored on John Coleman's triple down the left field line. Miller singled Coleman home. Doubles by Paul Ludden and Padrazo produced a 6-4 lead in the sixth and the Golden Knights got it to 7-4 when Will Coleman doubled Miller to third and he scored after McGowan issued consecutive walks to force in the seventh run.

Clarkson was denied a chance to add to its 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Jenock singled with one out. Miller lined to center and Greg Jasek doubled to left center. Rochester executed a perfect relay, from Todd to Eychner to Schultz who had the ball before Jenock reached the batter's box. He was tagged out easily to end the inning.

Will Coleman dominated the opener on the mound and helped his own cause with an RBI single in a four-run fifth that broke a 2-2 tie. Coleman walked one, fanned three, scattered five hits, and got some help from his defense with two double play groundouts. Both were started by his brother, John, the Clarkson shortstop. Will Coleman set down the last 10 men he faced. Rochester nicked him for a run in the third when Slutsky singled in Schmidt. With two down in the fourth, the Yellowjackets tied it at 2-2. Schultz walked and Jake Meyerson was hit by a pitch. Ludwig pulled a single to right, scoring Schultz and moving Meyerson to third. But Schmidt bounced to John Coleman who stepped on second to force Ludwig and end the inning. 

In the Clarkson fifth, the Golden Knights took advantage of two walks (one intentional), two errors (both on the same play), and two hits to score four runs.

Jenack walked. Miller bunted. Rochester pitcher Josh Schulman fumbled it as he tried to field it, then threw wildly past first. Jenack reached third and Miller settled in at second. Jasek was walked intentionally and Michael Lee relieved with the bases loaded and none out. 

Will Coleman greeted Lee with a single to right that plated Jenack. Driscoll hit a sac fly to center that scored Miller. Pirro flied out to center with Jasek moving to third. Clarkson executed a double steal. Will Coleman took off for second. When the Yellowjackets threw the ball through, Jasek scored. Tim Beninati doubled down the left field line for the final run.

Schulman absorbed the loss for Rochester. He gave up three hits, five runs (three earned), and struck out one while walking seven. Lee allowed two hits, one unearned run, and fanned one in two innings.