CANTON, NY – The University of Rochester baseball team pounded out 15 hits and 12 runs, scoring half of those in the seventh inning during a 12-5 victory over St. Lawrence University on Friday afternoon at Tom Fay Field.
Rochester his the 20-win mark on the season, moving to 20-11 overall and is now 12-2 in the Liberty League after winning its eleventh straight conference game. The Saints fall to 8-15 overall and are 3-10 in the conference.
Graduate student Joseph Rende and junior Luke Gregory each smacked home runs in the big seventh inning to power the Rochester offense. Rende finished 2-for-5 with a double, home run and 5 RBI, while Gregory drove in three runs.
Josh Leadem was a terror from the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with a double, 4 runs and 3 stolen bases. John Moses added 3 hits, including a pair of doubles and Aaron Whitley added a 2-for-4 game with two runs and a steal.
UR struck for the games opening run in the top of the first. Leadem singled up the middle and came around to third following a Whitley sacrifice bunt. After Rende grounded out, the Yellowjackets held the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the frame, SLU capitalized on a Rochester error to score a run without recording a hit.
The next inning, Rochester regained its lead after Colby Cruser laced an RBI single to left, scoring Jackson Reed who reached on an infield hit. Cruser finished 2-for-4 and Reed scored twice.
After a scoreless third inning, UR added to its lead in the fourth on Moses' second straight double to start the game, driving in Reed.
SLU got that run back in its next time up, with Sean Desjardins perfectly placing a bunt single in between the pitcher and third base with runners on the corners. Rochester starter Nolan Sparks escaped further trouble by getting a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Sparks (6-0) ended up going five innings and allowed five hits and four runs, picking up the win. He wasn't helped out by his defense though, as three of the runs on his line were unearned. The junior struck out four and walked one.
Rende provided a 2-run double in the fifth inning, jumping the 'Jackets lead to three at 5-2, but a pair of UR defensive miscues in the same inning allowed the Saints to score two right back, cutting the lead back down to one.
UR's speed generated another run in the sixth. With two outs, Leadem doubled to left. On a full count to the next batter, Whitley, Leadem took off on the pitch and never stopped while Whitley beat out an infield single, allowing the inning to continue and Leadem to cross home making the score 6-4.
The next inning, both Rende and Gregory hit their home runs to score five of the six runs, with Leadem moving to second on a wild pitch before stealing both third and home for the other run.
Reliever Jason Cobert was solid in three innings, allowing just one run while striking out two, and Aidan Cooney finished off the win with a 1-2-3 ninth for Rochester.
Stephen Colangelo led the Saints offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Timothy Connor added a 2-for-4 game with a double and RBI. Brett Parker (0-2) took the loss for SLU, going 4.1 innings with 7 hits and 5 runs (3 earned allowed).
The weekend series continues on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader starting at noon.