HENRIETTA, NY – Host RIT held the University of Rochester baseball team off the scoreboard in a 5-0 shutout win in game one and then rallied for a 7-6 walk-off victory in game two of a Liberty League doubleheader sweep on Tuesday evening at Tiger Stadium.
The losses drop Rochester to 10-9 overall and 5-3 in the Liberty League, while RIT improves to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Tuesday's games were scheduled make-ups from a March 23rd doubleheader which was postponed due to bad weather.
RIT's Stevie Branche held the Yellowjackets to just four hits in game one, all of which were singles. The Tiger hurler also surrendered one walk while striking out eight.
Two of UR's hits came off the bat of first-year Jacob Matzat while Aiden Finch and Jake Hertz also had singles in the game.
Trevor Van Allen (0-1) got the start on the mound for the Yellowjackets and went 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and five runs while striking out three. Dan Agate pitched the remaining two thirds of an inning for UR.
RIT got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when Kyle Terzini doubled to right, scoring Daniel Capra. Terzini then reached home when UR threw down to second getting Patrick Blackall attempting to steal.
Capra provided a sacrifice fly in the third and the RIT grabbed two insurance runs in the sixth to make the score 5-0.
In game two, RIT rallied from a 5-0 deficit after three and half innings, scoring seven runs over the final four frames to salvage a season series split with the Yellowjackets.
Rochester jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Drew Bankovich was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Brian McKinsey then added a sacrifice fly and Kyle Trombley drove in the third run of the inning with a single to left.
In the third, Ryland McNabb provided an RBI on a groundout, while the following inning saw David Rieth notch an RBI double.
The Tigers got their first two runs of the game when Blackall homered to left off of UR starter Brendan Shamieh. Shamieh was solid otherwise, finishing with six strikeouts and no walks in four innings of work.
Rochester's lead was four, sitting at 6-2, after McNabb plated Matzat in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the inning, RIT chipped away, scoring twice to make the score 6-4. Joey Mylott had an RBI single and Capra added a sacrifice fly.
RIT was able to push two more across on reliever Jack Denzer (2-2) in the sixth, getting runs on doubles from Luke McNamara and Navada Waterman.
In the seventh, Terzini reached on a one-out single. After a flyout, runners were on the corners when Daniel Zeglen singled to left. Jack Herman then relieved Denzer on the hill and uncorked a wild pitch which allowed the Tigers winning run to score.
Matzat again proved to be UR's most productive hitter in game two, going 3-4 with a double and three runs scored. McNabb finished 1-2 with two RBI.
RIT's Terzini finished 2-4, while McNamara was 2-3 with a double and two runs. Capra started on the mound for the Tigers and went four innings, allowing five runs while striking out five. A trio of relievers each went one inning for RIT, with Michael Campbell picking up the win.
UR continues its busy week with a non-conference road tilt at Ithaca on Wednesday afternoon.