ROCHESTER, NY – The RIT baseball (18-15-1, 11-10-1 Liberty League) clinched a Liberty League postseason berth, splitting a doubleheader against Rochester (16-15, 16-5 Liberty League) on the final day of the regular season for both schools from Tiger Stadium on Sunday. RIT won game one, 3-0, while the Tigers took game two, 5-1.

Before the doubleheader, RIT honored seniors Gage Blasi (Baldwinsville, NY/C.W. Baker), Brett Bouchard (Fairport, NY/Fairport), Nick Claver (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Dalton Murray (Savannah, NY/Clyde-Savannah), Kyle Povlock (Fairport, NY/Fairport), Brian Reed (Rochester, NY/Penfield), Dom Scialabba (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) and Benjamin Terzini (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool).

In game one, RIT hurler Stevie Branche (New Paltz, NY/New Paltz) and Rochester starter Jack Danzer locked up in a pitcher's duel, as the game was scoreless after five innings.

Rochester would break through with three runs in the sixth inning. Back-to-back walks put runners at first and second with nobody out to start the frame. Branche would be pulled in favor of Brett Bouchard (Fairport, NY/Fairport), who coerced a force out at third and ground ball that moved the runners up. With two outs, Kyle Trombley hit a chopper that took a high hop for an infield hit, coupled with a throwing error to allow both runs to score, making it a 2-0 game. Aaron Craig would single in Trombley for the third run.

Danzer would get great support from his defense, including right fielder Corey Ziring, who made a key running catch on a deep drive hit by Jason Schulz (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) with two runners on to end the third inning. Danzer was tremendous for Yellowjackets, throwing 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes, limiting the Tigers to just four hits, while striking out five batters in the complete-game win. It is his fourth victory of the season.

Branche allowed just one hit in five-plus innings, but walked six batters, while striking out five to fall to 2-2. Nick Claver (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for RIT.

In game two, RIT jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, as Scialabba walked with two and hustled around the bases to score when a lazy fly ball by Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) was dropped for an unearned run.

The Tigers would get the bats going with three runs on four straight hits to start the sixth inning. Schulz and Daniel Zeglen (Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville) singled to put runners on first and second. Murray ripped a single into left field, scoring Schulz to give RIT a 2-0 lead. After Scialabba singled to load the bases, Daniel Capra (North Salem, NY/North Salem) greeted Rochester relief pitcher Tyler McConway with a hard single to right field, scoring Zeglen and Murray to make it a 4-0 game.

Rochester would get a run back in the top of the seventh as Grant Kilmer doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a run-scoring groundout by Tyler Schmidt. RIT would regain its four-run lead in the eighth, as Kyle Terzini (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) drove in Capra to close out the scoring.

Zeglen was strong on the mound for RIT, scattering seven hits over seven innings, while allowing one run and striking out a pair of Yellowjackets for his third win of the season. Capra came on and earned his third save of the season and second in less than 24 hours, striking out three Yellowjackets over the final two innings.

RIT and Rochester split the regular-season series 2-2. Yesterday, Rochester defeated RIT, 10-9 in nine games in game one, while the Tigers won game two, 3-2 at Towers Field.

RIT will head to the University of Rochester for the 2018 Liberty League Baseball Championship Tournament. Seedings and matchups for the tournament will be announced tonight. Follow www.ritathletics.com and www.libertyleagueathletics.com for complete information.