HENRIETTA, NY – The University of Rochester baseball team secured its first Liberty League regular season title since 2010 following a split doubleheader with RIT on Sunday afternoon at Tiger Stadium.
Rochester won game one 3-0 following an excellent pitching performance from junior Jack Denzer. RIT took game two 5-1 to clinch their spot in the Liberty League playoffs.
UR finishes the regular season 16-15 overall and 16-5 in the Liberty League. RIT moves to 17-16-1 and 11-10-1 in the Liberty League.
The Yellowjackets will host the Liberty League tournament this Thursday through Saturday. Five teams qualify with Union, Vassar, RIT and Rensselaer rounding out the field.
GAME ONE:
Denzer was terrific for his third straight start, tossing a 7-inning complete game while allowing just four hits while striking out five. The junior has not allowed an earned run in his last 22 innings.
The Yellowjackets threatened in the first and second innings, but stranded two runners on in each frame.
RIT's best scoring chance came in the third inning when Dalton Murray led off with a single, and with two outs, Patrick Mylott was hit by a pitch, but Denzer got a flyout to end the threat.
Rochester finally broke through, scoring the games only runs with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Aiden Finch and Jack Herman led off the inning with back-to-back walks. Steve Pickering reached on a fielders choice with Finch getting forced out at third base.
After another groundout, Kyle Trombley reached on an infield single scoring Herman, with Pickering heading home after a Tiger throwing error. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Trombley was driven in when Aaron Craig singled to right, making the score 3-0 Rochester.
RIT got its leadoff hitters on in the top of the sixth and seventh, but Denzer retired three straight afterwards, completing the shutout.
RIT's Stevie Branch got the start for the Tigers and took the loss, only surrendering one hit, but gave up two runs with six walks and five strikeouts.
GAME TWO:
Visiting Rochester had two excellent scoring chances in the second and third innings of the nightcap, but couldn't come up with the big hit to score any runs.
In the second, Herman led off with a double and was moved to third when Pickering singled up the middle. RIT wiggled out of that inning getting a groundout and a double play on a pop up.
The third inning saw Corey Ziring and Tyler Schmidt each single with one out to have two runners on, but Tiger starting pitcher Daniel Zeglen got two fly outs to end the inning.
RIT meanwhile, had taken the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second after Dom Scialabba came around on a dropped fly ball off the bat of Daniel Capra in the outfield with two outs.
Rochester starting pitcher Jon Turk threw well through five innings, not surrendering a hit, but was trailing 1-0 after the Yellowjacket offense couldn't get anything going.
In the sixth, the Tigers finally tagged Turk, with the first four batters singling, making it 2-0. Capra provided the fifth hit, driving in two more runners to boost the lead to 4-0 RIT. UR reliever Tyler McConway surrendered that hit, but did a nice job of escaping the bases loaded, no-out jam, keeping the lead at just four.
UR got its first two runners on in the seventh, when Grant Kilmer doubled and Zach Miraz walked. After a sacrifice, Schmidt grounded out to second, plating Rochester's only run of the game.
RIT grabbed another run in the eighth to make it 5-1, and Rochester stranded two more runners in the ninth, bringing its total to 10 in the contest.
Schmidt finished 3-5 with a double for the Yellowjackets, while Pickering was 2-3 at the plate. Turk took the loss on the mound, going 5-plus innings, allowing four hits, four runs (3 earned) with three walks and three strikeouts. McConway, Nathan Slenska and Dan Agate each pitched an inning of relief for UR.
For RIT, Zeglen threw seven innings, scattering seven hits while allowing one run and two walks with two strikeouts. Capra tossed the final two innings after moving from shortstop to pick up the save. At the plate, seven different Tigers recorded one hit each.