CANTON, NY – The University of Rochester baseball team earned a conference weekend series win, splitting a doubleheader with St. Lawrence University on Sunday afternoon at Tom Fay Field.
Host St. Lawrence (5-17, 3-9 Liberty League) won game one by a 2-1 score, with Rochester (15-13, 9-7 Liberty League) taking the second game by an 8-4 score.
Game one was a pitchers duel between UR's Jack Denzer and SLU's Caleb Clarke, with the seven-inning affair only yielding ten hits combined between both teams.
All of the scoring came in the third inning. The Saints got the leadoff batter on via walk. After a sac bunt, Taylor Digilio singled to right butting runners on the corners. A steal and throwing error plated the first run, with Evan O'Keefe singling with two outs to score the second and eventual game-winning run.
Rochester's run came in the bottom of the inning. Jake Hertz led off with a walk. After getting moved up to second on a Joseph Rende bunt, Kyle Trombley lifted a two-out double to score Hertz making the score 2-1.
The Yellowjackets tried to take a lead in the fourth, getting two runners on with two outs, but Hertz flied out to end the inning and the scoring threat.
Another two runners reached in the bottom of the seventh inning for Rochester, but Clarke was able to wiggle out of the jam, tossing the complete game victory.
Clarke finished the game tossing seven innings while allowing five hits and striking out five. Denzer posted nearly identical numbers, going seven strong, giving up five hits while fanning five batters.
At the plate, Aiden Finch was 2-2 with a double, while Hertz was 1-2 with a walk and run scored. SLU's Joe DeGuardia finished the opener 2-3 with a double.
In game two, the Yellowjackets pounded out 17 hits to earn the win after trailing early in the contest, using a big sixth inning to power past the hosts.
After two innings, the Saints led 4-1. In the first inning, Zach Miraz recorded the first of his four hits on the game, scoring David Rieth who reached on a leadoff double.
In the second, the Saints scored four times. DeGuardia got the first run in on a sacrifice fly, while Anthony Ferraro provided the big hit of the inning, launching a 3-run home run to right.
The Yellowjackets began to chip away in the third, with Miraz singling in Jacob Matzat who doubled. A second runner was gunned down at the plate trying to score, with SLU leading 4-2 after three.
Two innings later, another run scored, with Miraz again providing the RBI hit, scoring Matzat once again.
Rochester tied it gained the lead in the sixth. Hertz singled to leadoff the frame. With one out, David Rieth doubled in Hertz to tie the score. After another out, UR notched four straight hits to score three additional runs making the score 7-4.
Matzat doubled to right center, plating Rieth. Finch followed with an RBI hit and Miraz singled to put two runners on. Jack Herman then laced a single to left, scoring Finch.
UR provided a shutdown inning, but just barely in the top of the seventh. Dan Agate started the inning by striking out the first two batters, but three straight walks loaded the bases. Tyler McConway relieved and induced a fielders choice ground out to end the threat.
The big zero provided the Yellowjackets with momentum to add an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases loaded, pinch hitter Luke Piontek recorded a sacrifice fly scoring Hertz who again led off the inning with a key base hit.
Miraz ended up 4-5 in game two with three RBI. Hertz was 3-3 with a double and two runs scored. Rieth also had three hits, including 2 doubles, 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. Matzat reached three times on two doubles and a walk, also scoring twice.
On the mound, Kevin Ho got the start and wen the opening two innings. Brendan Shamieh relieved and tossed three scoreless innings, striking out four while only giving up two hits. Agate finished with 1.2 scoreless innings and three strikeouts while McConway got the save with 2.1 hitless innings of work with two strikeouts.
Christian Forgione led St. Lawrence with two hits and a run scored in the loss. Ferraro's big hit was his only of the game, going 1-4 with three RBI.
Rochester has a mid-week game at Alfred State on Wednesday at 4 pm for its next contest. Next weekend is UR's Liberty League bye week, as the Yellowjackets stay in town to take on Brockport in a non-league doubleheader on Saturday.