WHITTIER, CA – The University of Rochester baseball team and host Whittier College split a pair of slugfests on Wednesday afternoon, with Rochester winning 13-7 in the opener before Whittier responded with an 18-10 victory in game two.
Overall, the teams combined for 48 runs and 54 hits across the two games on Wednesday. Rochester (5-3) scored double-digit runs in each game of the series, adding a 12-8 win in Tuesday's opener. Whittier moves to 2-12 on the season with the split DH.
Game 1:
Rochester 13, Whittier 7
The Yellowjackets put up multiple runs in four separate innings, led by a 5-spot in the eighth to power past the Poets. UR capitalized on five Whittier errors in the game and scored 13 runs, despite just nine hits.
Rochester added eight walks in the contest and five of the 13 runs scored were unearned against Poet pitching.
Starter Sammy Rosenfield (2-1) earned his second win of the season on the mound, tossing five innings of work. He scattered seven hits and gave up five runs (four earned) while walking two and striking out five. He struck out the side in the first inning after Whittier took and early 3-2 lead.
Colton Avera started the scoring off with a 2-run home run to center in the top of the first.
After Whittier edged in front in the bottom of the first, UR regained the lead in the third, scoring four times. Joe Siciliano scored on an Jackson Reed grounder, Avera doubled in two runs and Aaron Whitley added a sacrifice fly.
Nathan Sherman drove two with a triple in the fourth, cutting the 'Jackets lead to one, up 6-5.
Two more errors from Whittier allowed Rochester to go ahead 8-5 in the sixth before the Yellowjackets had their big inning in the eighth, boosting the margin to 13-5. Reed provided the big hit in the frame for Rochester, tripling to left center, scoring Joseph Rende and Josh Leadem.
Pinch-hitter Abe Bullard completed the scoring with a 2-run blast to left in the bottom of the eighth for Whittier.
Reede finished 2-for-5 with a double, triple, three runs and three RBI at the plate. Avera went 2-for-5 with four RBI and a pair of runs, notching two extra base hits. Siciliano added a 2-for-3 day with two runs and two walks.
Behind Rosenfield on the mound, Luke Boylan gave up just two runs in three innings of relief, striking out one, while Aidan Cooney tossed a scoreless ninth with two punch outs.
Game 2:
Whittier 18, Rochester 10
Rochester couldn't overcome an onslaught of ten runs in the third inning, as the host Poets pounded out 22 hits in the 18-10 win in the nightcap.
Eight different Poets scored a run and seven of those recorded multi-hit performances, as the bats came alive.
Rochester fought valiantly after trailing by as many as 11 runs on two occasions, getting the lead down to six after the seventh inning, but the comeback attempt fell short in the end.
UR's top of the lineup did most of the damage in game two, with the top three hitters, Leadem, Rende and Reed each recording multi-hit games. Leadem was 3-for-6 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Rende scored two times and was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Reed added a 2-for-4 day with a double, RBI and run scored.
Avera added another extra base hit, recording a bases clearing triple, and Rochester combined to have seven extra-base hits in the contest. The lone UR rookie boosted his team-leading RBI total to 12 through eight games.
Lew Rice and James Stirton each went 4-for-5 for Whittier at the dish. Cam Gran slugged a pair of doubles and drove in four runs, all coming in the big third inning. Rice, Teige Barrett and Dane Goodman all scored three times.
On the mound, Sean Miller pitched the best for Rochester out of the bullpen, striking out three in 3.1 innings of work. He allowed just three hits and two runs (one earned). Matt Casiero started for the Yellowjackets and took the loss after 2.1 innings. Jason Cobert matched him with 2.1 innings in relief.
Up next, the Yellowjackets close the West Coast spring break trip with three games against University of La Verne. Game one of the series was initially scheduled for Friday, but has been moved up to Thursday at 2 p.m. Pacific time. Games two and three of the series are set for Saturday.