PRINCE ATHLETIC COMPLEX – The University of Rochester baseball team scored in six straight innings, scoring ten unanswered runs to earn a 10-2 victory over Bard College on Saturday evening at Towers Field in a Liberty League Crossover series matchup.
The win puts Rochester (26-12, 17-3 Liberty League) one win away from qualifying for the Liberty League conference tournament next weekend. Bard (8-20, 5-12), will need to sweep both ends of a doubleheader against the Yellowjackets on Sunday to keep its season alive.
Senior Aaron Whitley was dominant in all aspects of the game for Rochester, going 4-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 4 runs scored and 3 stolen bases. His 12 total bases in the win are tied for third most in a single-game in Rochester baseball history.
First-year Colton Avera finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and run scored, while Jackson Reed finished 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Luke Gregory also drove in a pair of runs.
On the mound, the Yellowjackets only used two pitchers in the nine-inning affair and combined for 16 strikeouts, third most in team history. Nolan Sparks (7-0) remained unbeaten on the season, striking out 11 over six innings. He allowed four hits, two runs and two walks in the outing.
Reliever Thomas Karpishin was nearly unhittable from the bullpen, earning his second save of the season, going three scoreless innings, striking out five. He allowed just one hit and one walk in the appearance, his 18th of the season.
Bard struck first in the game with Jared Toby delivering a two-run single up the middle in the top of the second inning. Toby and Jake Stacey combined for four of the five Raptors hit on the night, each going 2-for-4.
Rochester scraped a run across in the bottom half of the second on a Jacob Matzat sacrifice fly to left.
The next inning, UR's career leading in sacrifice flies, Joseph Rende, added to his team record in that category, leveling the game at two. Gregory provided the go-ahead hit a few batters later, driving in Reed with a double.
In the fourth, Whitley doubled, stole third and scored on a Bard throwing error to boost the Yellowjacket lead to 4-2.
Reed bopped a solo home run to left in the fifth and the next inning, Whitley hit the first of his two long balls on the night to put Rochester in front by five, up 7-2. Gregory continued UR's run streak, being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in a run.
Whitley completed the scoring in the seventh with a 2-run blast to center field, matching Reed for the team lead with his fifth round-tripper of the year. Twenty of the seniors 56 hits on the season have gone for extra bases.
The crossover series continues on Sunday with game two slated for a noon start. Should Bard win and extend the series, a winner-take-all game three will be played immediately after the opening game.