PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – It was a wild day as offenses went berserk at Towers Field, leading to a split Liberty League doubleheader between Clarkson University and the University of Rochester on Saturday afternoon.
 
Clarkson mounted a huge rally, scoring nine runs in the seventh and final inning of the opener, leading to a 9-7 win. Rochester, meanwhile, pounded out a school record 31 hits in a 25-8 blowout in game two, with the nightcap featuring a whopping nine home runs.
 
UR moves to 12-5 overall on the season and 6-2 in conference play with the split. Clarkson ends the weekend at 10-10 overall and 5-3 in the Liberty League.
 
In addition, NCAA history was made on Saturday, as junior Beth Greenwood became the first female to play catcher in an NCAA baseball game (any division), entering late in game two behind the plate after pinch hitting in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Game one was going swimmingly for the hosts as the Yellowjackets held a 6-0 lead heading into the seventh inning.
 
To get the big lead, Aaron Whitley laced a double to right center scoring two runs for the Yellowjackets in the fourth inning. Later, in the sixth inning, Jacob Matzat had an RBI ground-rule double to left and then scored on a wild pitch while Steve Pickering followed with a single up the middle to score two additional runs, giving Rochester the comfortable cushion with Clarkson down to their last ups.
 
UR closer Spencer Rojahn was called upon to get the last out of the top of the sixth inning, striking out Tony Bianchi with the tying runs at the corners.
 
In Rojahn's second inning work, things did not go as planned. The first seven batters of the inning reached, six against Rojahn, and all came around to score. Before an out was recorded in the frame, the Golden Knights would have a lead.
 
A hit batter and single both were driven in by a pinch-hit triple from Joe Pagano. Two more singles brought the tying run to the plate in Michael Tito. With two runners on, Tito tripled to left field, making the score 6-5 UR.
 
Rojahn was relieved for by Hank Powers, with the first batter up being Colby Brouillette, Saturday's game two walk-off hero for the Golden Knights. Brouillette blasted the second pitch he saw from the UR lefty over the right field fence for a 2-run homer, putting CU up 7-6.
 
UR finally recorded an out in the inning getting a fly out, but Bianchi reached via hit by a pitch and the next batter, Michael Mieczkowski, lifted Clarkson's second home run of the inning to make it nine runs in the seventh for the Golden Knights.
 
Rochester did not go down without a fight though, scraping one run across in the bottom half of the inning on a Brian McKinsey single. McKinsey advanced to second on the throw home and the Yellowjackets had the tying runners in scoring position with only one out. Relief pitcher Joe Stockman was able to get a strikeout and fly out to end UR's rally though, sealing the comeback win for Clarkson.
 
On the mound, the big rally spoiled a potential win for Rochester's starter Trevor Van Allen. The junior right-hander went 5.2 innings and only allowed two hits and no runs. He walked four and struck out two in the no-decision.
 
Clarkson's Kyle Locklear earned the win, going 6.1 innings while giving up 8 hits, 7 runs and 5 walks while striking out 4.
 
Game two was a record-breaker for the Yellowjackets. The 31 hits is the most on record for a UR team, breaking the previous best of 26 set back in 2004 in a game against Vassar. Rochester's 25 runs is tied for third most in team history and is the most since UR plated 28 runs in a 2009 victory over Skidmore.
 
UR used a whopping 20 players in the batting order and two additional pitchers. Junior catcher Luke Piontek was a perfect 5-for-5, tying the school record for hits in a game with seven other players. Piontek's line included an inside-the-park home run and three runs scored.
 
John Moses had three doubles in three at-bats in game two, also drove in two runs. He also line two extra-base hits in game one, finishing with five doubles on the day.
 
As a team, the Yellowjackets pounded out 16 extra-base hits in the nightcap, four home runs, three triples and nine doubles. In addition to Piontek's home run, Matzat, Josh Leadem and Dylan Stezzi all left the yard for Rochester.
 
Joseph Rende was the lone UR player to play all nine innings and finished 3-for-6 at the plate with a triple, 4 runs scored and 3 RBI. Jackson Reed finished game two with three hits and three runs scored while Harper Sy entered midway through the game and had a double, triple and two RBI. McKinsey added two hits and three runs scored.
 
Not to be outdone, Clarkson mashed out five home runs in the game-two loss, two by Zachary Carpin and one each from Brouillette, Locklear and Jake Millich.
 
On the mound, UR starter Jason Cobert was the benefactor to the offensive explosion. He earned his second win of the season, going six innings while giving up 8 hits, 5 runs and 2 walks while fanning 4. Dan Agate earned a save by pitching the final three innings.
 
Rochester as a team scored in seven of the eight innings it came up to bat in game two. Multiple runs scored on six occasions, with four innings having four or more runs cross home plate.