SCHENECTADY, NY - The University of Rochester baseball team clinched a spot in the Liberty League playoffs with a doubleheader split at Union College on Saturday afternoon at Central Park.
The Dutchmen (20-14, 12-9 Liberty League) took game one 4-3 in eight innings while the Yellowjackets (25-13, 16-6 Liberty League) responded with a 6-1 win in game two. The 16 wins in the league is enough for UR to secure a berth in the four-team conference playoffs scheduled for next week.
Rochester was able to clobber four home runs on the day, two coming from junior Jake Meyerson, one from junior Nolan Schultz and the fourth from senior Brendan Garry. Garry's homer was his 8th this season, tying him for 5th in a single season in UR history. The teams total is now 25 which is 6th all-time in a single season at Rochester.
In game one, Schultz opened the scoring with a solo shot to left center in the 2nd inning. Union would answer with squeeze play by CJ Worley in the bottom of the inning, evening the score at 1-1.
The next inning, Union's Andy Labeck singled to center and advanced to second on a UR fielding error, allowing Jake Vesling to scamper home for a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth, Meyerson hit his first home run of the day to even the score up at 2-2.
Both starters, UR's Evan Janifer and Union's Jake Fishman would settle in, holding the batters scoreless throughout the regulation distance of seven innings. Janifer would eventually pick up the loss going 7.2 innings, allowing 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned) while striking out 3. Fishman pitched a complete game and allowed 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned) and 2 walks while fanning 6.
In the first extra frame, Rochester would take the lead when Meyerson rushed home on a Union passed ball.
The bottom of the inning saw Vesling lead off with a single. After being bunted over to second, Jamie Faber singled to left tying the score. After a groundout, a single and intentional walk loaded the bases. Union's Eric Egan executed a delayed steal of home to score the walk-off win.
In game two, Rochester's power allowed the visiting Yellowjackets to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Meyerson led off with his second homer of the day. Then after a Brian Munoz single, Garry unleashed a homer to center, putting UR up 3-0. A Dan Warren fielders choice scored the fourth run of the inning.
The next inning, Munoz singled in Meyerson to make the lead 5-0 and in the 5th, Josh Ludwig reached on a fielders choice allowing Lance Hamilton to score, putting UR up 6-0.
Union would scrape a run across in the 6th off a pinch hit double from Matt Drum, but that was all the Dutchmen could score on freshman starter Luke Meyerson, younger brother of Jake. The younger Meyerson picked up his 3rd win of the year, going 6 innings, allowing 7 runs, 1 run and 1 walk while striking out 3.
Jake Meyerson was 2-4 with two runs a double and a homer in game two while Munoz finished 3-3 with a run and a stolen base. Hamilton added a 2-3 game with two runs scored and a stolen base.
The same two teams play another doubleheader on Sunday starting at noon. With a Rochester sweep, UR will tie for the regular season title with RPI who finished 18-6 after a split with RIT on Saturday.