PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – On the final weekend of regular season play, the University of Rochester baseball team hosted the Bard College Raptors in a four game series. Prior to the game, UR honored their seniors ahead of their last regular season series.
Rochester would go on two win both games. Yellowjackets took game one by final of 2-1 and game two 5-4. With the victories, Rochester clinched a spot in the Liberty League Playoffs next weekend.
GAME 1: UR 2 Bard 1
Rochester opened up the scoring early. Kyle Trombleysingled up the middle to drive in David Rieth to make it 1-0. The Yellowjackets would add another run in the 4th. Harper Sy reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded, allowing Aiden Finch to cross home safely.
Bard however would get a run back in the top of the 5th on an inside the park home run to center.
Starter Garrett Renslow continued his strong season on the mound. The junior went 6 innings, with just 4 hits allowed, 1 earned run, and tied a career high with 8 punch outs. Renslow improves to 4-2 on the season.
Brendan Shamieh picked up his sixth save of the season, putting away all three batters he faced in the seventh to secure the victory.
Rieth and Jack Herman each had a double in game one. Reith lead the team with two hits. Jacob Matzat, Finch, and Trombley all had a hit in the first game.
GAME 2: UR 5 Bard 4
Rochester came from behind to win game 2, scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Joseph Rende put UR on the board first with a single to left center that brought Sy home. Rende finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
The 1-0 lead would not last long, as Bard would put a pair of runs on the board in both the fifth and sixth to make it 4-1.
Heading into the bottom of the ninth, still down three runs, Rochester needed to get something going offensively in a hurry. Herman opened up the inning with a walk on a nine pitch at bat. Zach Miraz launched one to left that one-hopped the fence for a ground-rule double. Herman would late score after Sy reached on an error by the third baseman to put UR within two. Corey Ziring then stepped up to the plate and proceeded to rip a single to center to drive Miraz to make it a one-run game. Rende would load the bases after beating out a perfectly placed bunt down the first base line. Reith would tie the game on a sacrifice fly to center that brought Brian McKinsey home. With two outs and runners on first and second, Finch called game on single to left to give the Yellowjackets the lead for good.
Finch finished the game 2-for-5 with an RBI. Rieth, Herman, Miraz, Sy, and Ziring all had a hit in the ballgame.
On the mound, Jon Turk went 5 innings with 4 hits, 2 earned runs, and 3 strikkeouts. Dan Agate picked up his third win on the season, allowing just one hit over the final three innings while also striking out four.
Rochester will return to action one last time in the regular season tomorrow as the face Bard in one more doubleheader.