PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – Visiting SUNY Brockport put together a pair of big innings offensively and powered past the University of Rochester baseball team 12-6 on Tuesday night at Towers Field.
The loss, Rochester's third straight, drops the Yellowjackets to 10-4 on the season, while Brockport wins its first game in its home state this season, improving to 10-2.
Both teams brought some offense, with 25 combined hits in the game, eight of which went for extra bases. Three homers were slugged in the game, two by Rochester.
The Yellowjackets had some early chances, but couldn't capitalize with two outs in the first two innings, leaving the bases loaded in the first and stranding two runners in the second against Brockport starter Matt McGowan.
In the third, Rochester's Josh Leadem opened the scoring with a solo home run to left center, his first round tripper of the season.
Brockport responded in a big way in the top of the fourth, tagging UR starter Dillon Bevan for six runs. The Golden Eagles batted around, sending ten men to the plate, while recording seven hits in the frame. Nicholas Pastore and James Houlahan had RBI doubles, while the big blow was a 3-run home run off the scoreboard in left field by Justin Pangburn.
Dylan Stezzi launched a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Yellowjackets were held off the scoreboard until the ninth.
Brockport added a single run in the sixth and five unearned runs in the eighth to build its lead out to 12-2.
Rochester tried to rally in the ninth for the second straight night, scoring four times, once on a Luke Piontek bases loaded walk, once on a wild pitch and twice after a Jacob Matzat single up the middle. The Yellowjacket rally fizzled out though, with reliever Matthew Colucci retiring the next three batters in order to preserve the win.
Matzat finished as Rochester's leading hitter going 3-for-5 with a double, triple and two RBI. Aaron Whitley finished 2-for-4 with a run scored while Piontek added a 2-for-4 day with an RBI and run scored.
On the mound, Bevan allowed six runs while striking out one in 3.2 innings, falling to 1-1 on the year. A trio of relievers combined to allow the six other runs, only one of which were earned, before Justin Grossman tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for Rochester.
For Brockport, Pastore, Matt O'Dair and Ryan Voight all finished with two hits. Pangburn had three RBI and two runs scored while Ryan Mansell also scored twice.
McGowan, Brockport's starting pitcher, went 3.1 innings and struck out three, allowing two runs. Nick Ianniello earned the win with four strikeouts over three scoreless relief innings.
Up next for Rochester is the opening of Liberty League conference play. UR travels to Rensselaer to take on the Engineers in an inter-division series on Saturday and Sunday.