MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The University of Rochester baseball team got its 2022 season off to a solid start, sweeping a doubleheader over the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Saturday afternoon at the Ripken Complex.
Rochester (2-0) took game one 10-3 behind a grand slam home run from Harper Sy, three RBI from Jackson Reed and a complete game on the mound from Trevor Van Allen.
In game two, UR won 8-4 over the Bobcats (0-2) thanks to strong work from the bullpen of Spencer Rojahn, Jake Larson and Thomas Karpishin who yielded just two hits across the final four innings.
In game one, the senior Van Allen was terrific on the mound, tossing the full seven innings while striking out five and walking one. He allowed just five hits, two earned runs in his first career complete game.
Rochester opened the scoring in the second when Brian McKinsey doubled in Sy. Reed provided an RBI ground out and UR was up 2-0.
The next inning, Sy launched a bases loaded home run to boost the score to 6-0. Three straight singles from John Moses, Jacob Matzat and Josh Leadem led to the full bases ahead of the grand slam.
Pitt.-Greensburg got two runs back in the fifth when Jordan Cavanaugh lifted a 2-run homer over the fence.
Rochester answered right back, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Luke Piontek triple and Reed sacrifice fly.
An unearned run by Pitt.-Greensburg came across in the sixth, but UR again responded in the bottom of the inning, with Piontek adding another RBI hit and Reed finishing the scoring with his second sacrifice fly of the game.
Sy had a career-game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four runs scored, four RBI and the home run. Piontek was 2-for-3 with a triple, two runs and two RBI. Reed finished 1-for-2 but drove in three.
In game two, Rochester jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after one and a half innings thanks to a Matzat RBI single in the first and three unearned runs in the second.
Pitt.-Greensburg tacked on four runs over its next two times up and the score was tied 4-4 after three.
In the sixth, some wild Bobcat pitching led to a run with three hit batters and a wild pitch. Sy followed with a sacrifice fly and UR was up 6-4.
The next inning, Rochester got some insurance runs when Piontek provided an RBI double and Aaron Whitley singled in a run.
On the mound, Dillon Bevan got the start and went three innings and allowed four runs on six hits. He struck out two.
Rojahn pitched two scoreless innings of relief and only gave up one walk in earning the victory. Larson and Karpishin each threw a scoreless inning and struck out one while yielding one hit to close out the contest.
Rochester is back in action on Sunday at 9 am against Catholic University in a doubleheader.