TROY, NY – The University of Rochester baseball team emerged on the winning end of a 14-13 slugfest in 12 innings on Sunday afternoon, completing a series sweep over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to open Liberty League conference play.
Rochester pushes its record to 13-4 overall and 3-0 in the conference, while the Engineers drop to 7-8 on the year and 0-3 in the league.
First-year Colby Cruser broke a 13-all tie with a pinch-hit solo shot in the top of the 12th inning, scoring what would be game-winning run for Rochester.
The one run cushion proved to be enough for reliever Thomas Karpishin who was spectacular out of the bullpen for the second straight day, going 3.2 innings while allowing just one base hit. In game one of Saturday's DH, Karpishin tossed three innings of relief and earned the save in UR's 8-3 win.
Sunday's game was one of crooked numbers throughout the first seven innings. Rochester struck for one in the opening inning when Aaron Whitley scampered home on a wild pitch.
The lead was pushed to 4-0 in the third when Whitley reached on an infield single, scoring Dan Tirabassi. Senior Joseph Rende followed with a two-run blast to right, his second home run of the year.
Rochester's margin was erased with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the inning when Jake Defayette launched a grand slam to right, evening the score at 4-all. RPI's big inning continued with three more runs, all of which were unearned thanks to three Yellowjacket fielding errors in the inning.
The Yellowjackets had their biggest inning of the game in the fifth, regaining the lead after five runs came across. Luke Piontek doubled in two runs and after a single and walk loaded the bases, Josh Leadem was hit by a pitch to score another. Tirabassi completed the scoring in the frame with a two-run single to left.
RPI answered back in the sixth with three more runs to edge ahead 10-9, but the Yellowjackets responded right away with three of their own in the top of the seventh to go back on top by two. A wild pitch allowed Brian McKinsey to score, with Whitley and Rende adding RBI singles to their stat line.
The Engineers knotted the game back up in the bottom of the seventh when two runs came across on a Martin Marintchev single up the middle.
RPI took its final lead of the game in its half of the eighth inning after Joey Saia scored on a wild pitch, moving the Engineers three outs away from the win in regulation.
Rochester forced extras though, getting an RBI double from Rende in the top of the ninth to score Tirabassi who led off the inning with a double.
Rensselaer looked to end it in the bottom of the ninth getting two runners on with just one out. That's when Karpishin took over on the mound and escaped the jam getting two groundouts to strand the winning-run on base.
The teams traded zeros in the 10th and 11th innings before Cappelletti's homer in the 12th gave Rochester the 14-13 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Karpishin completed his masterful outing with a 1-2-3 inning, needing just six pitches to retire the side.
Rende paced the Rochester offense, going 3-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBI. Tirabassi went 3-for-5 as well with a double and two RBI. Whitley stuffed the stat sheet as well, going 2-for-5 with 3 runs, 2 RBI and 2 stolen bases. John Moses, Piontek and Leadem all finished with two hits and all nine starters for Rochester had at least one base knock.
On the mound, Jason Cobert went 2.2 innings and gave up seven runs (three earned) while striking out four. Mark Aaronson also struck out four in his 2.2 innings of relief, surrendering three runs. Matt Casiero, Thomas Blaydes and Sammy Rosenfield all worked on the hill as well before turning the ball over to Karpishin.
Four Engineers had three hits in the game, including Defayette, Joe Curci, Marintchev and George Ranier. Defayette finished with four RBI and three runs as well. Marintchev drove in three and also scored twice.
Thomas Neuman took the loss on the mound for RPI, tossing four innings in relief from the ninth through 12th.
Rochester's next games are on Saturday and Sunday at home against Vassar College in another Liberty League weekend series.