ITHACA, NY – The top two teams in the Liberty League this season battled it out in an instant classic, with Ithaca College edging out an 8-7, 10-inning victory over the University of Rochester in a Liberty League Tournament winner's bracket game on Friday afternoon at Freeman Field.
The host, and top seed Bombers (29-12), held off two Rochester rallies during the game, and earned the win with a walk-off single from Nicholas Cutaia in the bottom of the tenth inning. The win moves Ithaca onto the league championship series on Saturday, while Rochester (30-10) has to face Clarkson in an elimination game later on Friday to try and survive in the double-elimination bracket.
Ithaca got on top of the Yellowjackets in the first inning, scoring twice on a Buzz Shirley double to right center off of relief pitcher Jason Cobert. The two-bagger scored both runners who reached via walk against UR starter Colby Cruser. Cruser was lifted after those two batters after an apparent injury, forcing the Yellowjackets to the bullpen early.
In the bottom of the first, Rochester tried to answer back, getting the first two runners on base, also by a pair of walks, but starter Nate Scott got a double play and a line out to end the early scoring chance.
The Bombers tacked on two more runs in the fourth, coming on RBI singles from Matt Fabian and Ethan Rothstein.
UR answered with a big four-run fifth inning, tying the game at 4-4. The first four batters of the inning, Jacob Matzat, Matt Cappelletti, Quincy Jaksch and Aaron Whitley all reached on singles to start the rally. Jaksch's base hit scored a run, and Cappelletti scored after a throwing error following Whitley's bunt single. Harper Sy laced a 2-run double to right to pull the Yellowjackets back even on the scoreboard.
In the sixth, Ithaca regained its lead, scoring three times. After a one-out single, Cobert got a double-play ball which could have ended the inning, but a UR error on the back end of the play kept the Bombers inning alive. A walk and a Mike Nauta single gave Ithaca the lead and Shirley added another 2-run double, putting the Bombers up 7-4.
The Yellowjackets fought back though, scoring twice in the eighth and once in the ninth to force extras.
In the eighth, Josh Leadem led off with a double and scored on a Luke Piontek single to right. After a walk, Cappelletti singled through the left side to plate Piontek. With the tying and go-ahead runs on base, Ithaca turned to closer Garrett Bell to escape the jam. Bell did just that to end the eighth, getting a fly out and a pair of ground outs.
The next inning, Brian McKinsey reached on a fielding error with one out. He came around to score when Leadem lined a triple to right center, tying the score and putting the go-ahead runner just 90 feet away.
Piontek followed with a single to right, but Leadem at third had to wait and see if the ball would drop in front of the fielder Fabian, which it did, but in retreating back to third, he slipped and fell. The sophomore tried to recover and scamper home to take the lead, but Fabian made a strong throw to the plate, gunning down the runner to keep the game tied.
Ithaca threatened to walk-off in the bottom of the ninth, getting the bases loaded with a two-out rally featuring a double and two walks off of Sammy Rosenfield. Rochester turned to Matt Casiero to get a big out, and he did that, with a little help from his left fielder McKinsey who made a diving stab to keep his team alive.
Rochester went down fairly easily in the tenth and Ithaca used a leadoff single, walk and hit by pitch to quickly load the bases prior to Cutaia's walk-off single.
Offensively for the Yellowjackets, Piontek and Jaksch each finished 3-for-5 with a run and RBI. Leadem was 2-for-5 with a double and triple along with an RBI and run scored. Whitley added a 2-for-5 game with two steals and Sy drove in two runs, going 1-for-5.
On the mound, Cobert went the longest for Rochester, tossing 3.1 innings, allowing four hits and two runs (1 earned). Rosenfield had a solid outing for the Yellowjackets, throwing 2.2 innings late in the game, allowing just one hit while striking out one.