PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester baseball team saw its team come to an end in a 17-14 slugfest at the hands of Swarthmore College at the NCAA Division III Regionals on Saturday afternoon at Towers Field.
The game featured a remarkable comeback by the Yellowjackets (31-13), with second-seeded Rochester scoring eight runs in the eighth inning to erase a pair of eight-run deficits throughout the game.
Fourth-seeded Swarthmore (23-18) answered back each time Rochester mounted a rally, with the final blow being a three-run eighth inning from the Garnet which ended up being the final margin. Swarthmore ended up scoring a run in seven of their eight times up.
The loss ends Rochester's season, but the Yellowjackets highlights from the 2022 campaign include a single-season wins record and the programs third straight NCAA tournament appearance, also a new program record.
Rochester started the scoring in the top of the first inning when Harper Sy doubled to left scoring Joseph Rende. UR added another run when Sy scored on a wild pitch following a Josh Leadem strikeout.
UR starter Trevor Van Allen tossed the only scoreless frame for Rochester in the bottom of the first, erasing an early throwing error with a double play and ground out. Van Allen ended up going 3.1 innings and struck out two, allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits.
Swarthmore began its offensive onslaught in the second when Nate Jbara singled to right, scoring Paul Cooke. In the third, Austin Burgess clubbed his second home run in as many games at the regional, putting the Garnet up 3-2 with a two-run shot to left.
In the fourth, the Garnet quickly loaded the bases with two singles and a UR fielding error. After a fly out, pinch hitter Emmett Reynolds drove in a run with a single to left. Max Roffwarg then cleared the bases with a double, putting the Garnet up 7-2, and Burgess followed with a run-scoring double. He later scored on a Rochester throwing error after he stole third, putting Swarthmore up 9-2.
"The top half of the lineup, we had to control them to be in the game," said Rochester head coach following the game. "You can see from the stats that we failed to do that."
Swarthmore's top three in the order, Roffwarg, Luke Mutz and Burgess combined for eight hits, six runs and 11 RBI.
"Despite all that, we still had a chance to win after our top of the eighth, and I felt good if we could throw up a zero in the bottom half," said Reina.
Michael Sepe added a solo home run in the fifth and Swarthmore was up 10-2.
UR's Rende laced a 2-out, 2-run single to right in the top of the sixth, getting Rochester's late game offense kickstarted.
After Swarthmore added a single run in the bottom of the sixth, the Yellowjackets added two more in the top of the seventh, cutting the lead to five, at 11-6. Matt Cappelletti notched an infield single to score a run and John Moses scored on a fielding error, but Rochester made a miscue on the base paths and ran itself out of the inning, stranding two runners on.
The Garnet responded with three runs in the bottom half, getting back to an eight-run margin. Roffward hit a 2-run, ground-rule double to center and Burgess chipped in another RBI hit, putting the Garnet up 14-6.
Rochester's eight-run eighth inning was nearly completely with two outs, as the Yellowjackets saw nine straight batters reach safely at one point. Several Swarthmore miscues aided the rally, with the Garnet pitchers issuing two walks and four hit batters, to go along with a pair of Swarthmore fielding errors.
UR did smack three doubles in the frame as well, with Luke Piontek, Moses and Cappelletti each grabbing a two-bagger. Cappelletti's scored two runs while Moses' knock scored Piontek.
Four straight freebies with the bases loaded ended up tying the score. Rende drew a walk and Sy, Piontek and Leadem were all hit by pitches and the score was 14-14.
"Our mood didn't change much all day," explained Rende. "Down 10-2, we were still confident in our dugout, and rallying back, it is a testament to our team."
Rochester just last week mounted a pair of late inning walk-off rallies during the Liberty League Tournament.
UR reliever Spencer Rojahn took over on the mound in the eighth and quickly got the first two outs of the inning, getting a ground out and fly out on just three pitches.
Swarthmore's next batter, Jbara, clocked the Garnet's third home run of the game on a 3-2 pitch to regain the lead. A hit batter and a single put two runners on and Roffward added another double to his stat line, driving in two for the 17-14 lead.
In the ninth, UR's leadoff hitter Robert Constantine reached with a single to left, but closer Alexander Rimerman settled in after that, striking out the next two batters before getting a fielders choice to end the game.
Rochester's leader at the plate in the game was Rende who was 2-for-3 with 3 runs, 3 RBI and 3 walks. Constantine finished with four hits and two runs, while Cappelletti was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Moses and Piontek each added two hits while Sy and Leadem ended with two RBI each.
Roffwarg was the star for the Garnet, going 3-for-5 with 3 doubles, 7 RBI and two runs. Burgess was 3-for-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBI, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. Jbara was 2-for-5 at the plate with two runs and a pair of RBI.
The Garnet win pushed Swarthmore into another elimination game later in the day against Middlebury, one which was suspended due to weather in the 7th inning with Middlebury leading 5-4. The winner of that game, which starts back up at 9:15 am on Sunday, will square off in the regional championship round against top-seed and #1 ranked Eastern Connecticut State at 11 am.